Zero vs Kira
by CrossoverManiac
Summary: The world of Code Geass will never be the same with the coming of Kira. Can Zero, Lelouch vi Britannia, put a stop to Light Yagami's reign of terror or will he find his name in the Death Note?
1. Chapter 1: Arrival

_Zero vs Kira_

By

CrossoverManiac

Death Note is the property of Tsugumi Ohba. Code Geass is the property of Sunrise. This story is a work of entertainment only.

Chapter 1: Arrival

Lieutenant Colonel Taurus tapped his feet impatiently. When he lost a major battle against the EU, he was demoted from his previous position of Brigadier General and assigned to a weapons development project as a glorified security chief. But for all of the grandeur that the late Prince Clovis held for the project, it was little more than a light show and its only lasting impression was a migraine.

"How much longer will this experiment last, Dr. Torres?" Colonel Taurus grunted. "I'm getting eye strain." In the center of the room, a ball of red light pulsated with flashes of white, green, and blue patches.

Dr. Torres, the young blonde hair man in the stereotypical lab coat, who was leaning over an instrument panel sitting behind a 6-inch thick barrier that steadily grew thicker until it was another six inches thick at the bottom, glanced over his shoulder. "Not much longer, colonel."

"I swear, Torres, if we don't get positive results, I won't wait for the annual review board. I'm going straight to the Viceroy and have this project terminated."

Dr. Torres gave the colonel the evil eye and went back to work. He adjusted the instrumentation on the panel. The ball of light intensified. The scientist spoke into a small microphone mounted on the computer. "Warning! Experiment 024 is about to transition from stage 3 to stage 4. Please stand behind the blast shield." None of the men moved. "Please get behind..."

"Oh shut up and get the damn experiment over it already!"

Torres signed and continued with the experiment. The blob of light grew even stronger in intensity.

"I'd advise getting behind the blast shield." Torres motioned to the barrier behind them.

"As if it's going to do something that it didn't do the last twenty-four times." It was then the ball of light ruptured. The experiment seemed to have turned inside out and created a tempest inside the building. The mini-tornado scattered everything with it hurricane-force winds except people and whatever was nailed down all over the laboratory. And just before the vortex closed, a figure was thrown through and landed just outside the perimeter of the testing zone.

Lt. Col. Taurus and his men picked themselves off the floor. One man pushed a desk off of him. Another one was covered in garbage from an overturned trash can. "Damn scientist!" Torres stomped over to Dr. Torres. "You did that on purpose," Torres charged.

"No! That's not true. The experiment worked." Torres pointed toward the test area. "See." He was pointing at the figure that came through the portal.

It was human, or what the Britannians considered to be sub-human; an Eleven in a suit and tie. He had light brown hair and was, despite the upheaval, rather nicely kept. He was just getting off the floor when the guards took notice and pointed their weapons at him. The Eleven froze up, clutched his chest, and stayed close to the ground. "Ryuk!" The Eleven cried out. "Where the hell are you Ryuk!".

"I thought I caught a glimpse of something coming through." Colonel Taurus rubbed his scraggly cheeks with the 5 o'clock shadow. "Take this Eleven to the firing squad and dispose of the body." The Eleven's eyes opened wide with fright.

"No wait, Colonel!" Torres pleaded.

"Now what!" The colonel griped.

"I have to know where in Area 11 he came from or else we won't be able to pinpoint the coordinates of where the wormhole opened."

"Belay that order," the colonel moaned.

"Yes my lord." The soldiers stopped a few feet from the Eleven.

Taurus marched over to the Eleven and pulled him by the hair. "What's your name, Eleven?"

"Eleven?!? What the hell are you talking about?" The only answer the Eleven got was a fist in the face from the colonel.

"I said tell me your name, Eleven, and then tell us where you're from."

"Where are you from?"

"This is Area 11 and you're in the custody of the Britannian army."

"Brittanian?!? You mean I'm in Great Britain."

The colonel's already bad disposition got even worse. He kicked the Eleven in the stomach. "Britannia, not Britain you stupid Eleven! Learn the difference between us and those weaklings before I beat it in you. Damn uppity Eleven, you think you're somebody because you can speak English and wear a suit."

"Not so rough with him, colonel."

"Are you taking up for an Eleven?"

"Not for those animals, but I need to do a biopsy on the subject to see if there were any adverse affects from the trip though the wormhole. If you beat him too much I won't be able to tell if the teleportation has any side effects."

"We'll get you another Eleven to experiment with."

"Even though it took over two dozen tries to get one positive result?" Torres shook his head. "Really does it matter if the Eleven is dissected or shot? So long as he isn't alive and divulging military secrets, it makes no difference one way or the other."

"You made your point. We'll take care of your test subject and not hurt him too much."

"Excuse me, Colonel," the Eleven spoke out in a horsed voice; his cut lip dripping with blood. "Could you at least tell me your name?"

"No one told you speak, Eleven."

"It's only fitting to tell the condemned the name of his executioner."

"Fine, my name is Lieutenant Colonel George Taurus. Can you die in peace now, Eleven?"

The Eleven didn't reply right away. Instead, a sinister grin came upon his face and a chuckle out of his mouth.

"What's so funny?" Taurus barked before he noticed an item tucked in the coat of the Eleven's fancy jacket. Taurus picked the Eleven up by the collar and punched him in the gut. The blow loosened the grip the Eleven had on the item causing it to drop out of his coat. It was a black notebook that fell face down on the floor as the Eleven gasped for air after the blow knocked the air out of his lungs. The colonel picked it up and turned it over. Its front cover had the words "DEATH NOTE" printed on it.

"Death note?"

"Careful colonel," the Eleven coughed, "that's a cursed notebook. Whomsoever has their name written in it shall die."

The colonel chuckled. "You're kidding right." The Eleven shook his head. The chuckled then turned into full blown laughter. His soldiers followed along with his merriment. "I think I know where this eleven came from. He's from a nut house." The colonel laughed even harder. "I think I'll have some fun with you, Eleven." He handed the soldier closest to him the notebook and a pen out of his pocket.

"Um...yes my lord." The soldier said bewildered by his commanding officer's actions.

"Write your name in the cursed notebook."

"My name?"

"You heard me soldier! Write your name in the book." The soldier hastily opened the book and accepted the colonel's pen. "The rest of you do the same." The colonel grinned at the thought of making the eleven look foolish before he's put to death.

"Yes my lord." The other soldiers did as ordered and wrote their names down in the notebook.

"You next Torres," said the colonel as the last soldier handed the scientist the notebook.

"This is unprofessional behavior on your part, colonel; to play such childish games." Then Torres noticed a faint red outline below the page he wrote on. "Wait, there's something written in blood." But as Torres was looking over the blood-smeared page, the first soldier who was handed the cursed notebook grabbed his chest.

"That's enough playing around," Colonel Taurus chuckled. But the soldier didn't stop his 'act', but instead, collapsed on the floor. Then another soldier fell to his knees and expired. The colonel's heart raced in his chest. "I said that's enough playing around." One by one, the soldiers collapsed on the floor until all that was left was Taurus, Torres, and the Eleven.

"There's no such things as curses or the supernatural," Torres, a man of science, sputtered out in disbelief, or rather, in a failed attempt to rationalize the horror before his eyes. "Make it stop! Make it stop!" Torres felt his chest being twisted from the inside. The pain was like nothing he felt before. Burning like a thousand hot pokers running from arms to his spine jabbing through his flesh and then being yanked out taking muscles and tendons with it. His lungs collapsing in on itself expelling the life breath from his body. The last thing he felt before he went on to the next world was his heart exploding in his chest.

Colonel Taurus, the once proud Britannian officer, fearless in the face of enemy fire, artillery barrages, and towering Knightmare frames, quaked in terror of a measly eleven. He reached for his sidearm, but before he had a chance to fire a shot, the Eleven spoke out.

"Kill me and your name stays on the pages of the Death Note," said the Eleven.

"My name is in the Death Note?" Taurus trembled.

The Eleven nodded. "And only I can remove it, but only if you do as you are told."

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27 minutes later

The Eleven was busy downloading everything he could from the computer files: the name of high ranking officers, schematics on the machine that brought him here, and whatever else Taurus' mid-level security clearance could give to him. Taurus stood by his side quaking in fear of his impending death and in hope that the Eleven will grant him mercy.

"Excuse me, sir," Taurus said in the most polite tone he could muster.

"Yes, what is it?"

"I did everything you said: I erased the security footage, gave you my password, and I even gave you the names of the other personnel at the facility. I LET YOU KILL MY OWN MEN! NOW SPARE MY LIFE!"

The Eleven just glanced at the clock and went back to stealing military secrets. "Maybe I should take these blueprints of your 'Knightmare' frames." He downloaded the schematics on the military hardware.

"Please, sir, I didn't mean to yell."

The Eleven didn't even acknowledge his presence.

"Haven't I done enough for you?"

The Eleven look at the clock again. Two minutes passed by and Taurus resume pleading shamelessly for his life again. "It wouldn't take but a second of your time to save my life." The Eleven treated Taurus as if he wasn't even there. "I have children you know. I'm a widower so I have no wife at home to look after them when I'm gone." The Eleven pulled the stick drive out of the computer and put it in his pocket.

"Please, just open the book to the page where my name is written."

The Eleven glanced at the clock, thought for a moment, and flipped the book to the words written in blood.

"George Taurus," Taurus read aloud. His name was written in the English alphabet, but there was more writing in kanji. "What does that say?"

"It says 'George Taurus: orders his men to write their names down in a book, will succumb to an overwhelm fear for his own life and will follow any command given in order to save himself, dies in 30 minutes."

Taurus looked at the clock; it was almost his time to die. "PLEASE YOU GOT TO SAVE ME! TAKE MY NAME OUT OF THE BOOK!" Taurus grabbed the Eleven by the collar.

"I'm sorry, but I wasn't completely honest with you." As the Eleven was speaking, the colonel could feel his heart being twisted from the inside. It was exactly what his doctor told him, at his last physical, to expect if he ever had a heart attack. "Once a name has been written in the Death Note, the person's death is inevitable and immutable. It can not be stopped, even by me." The Eleven bend down and looked the Britannian officer in the eyes, glaring haughtily at his victim. "But I'll give the same courtesy you gave me and tell you the name of your executioner. I am Light Yagami, but you may call me 'Kira', Lieutenant Colonel George Taurus."

"Ki...rrrraaaa," the colonel groaned before he expired.

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As if we didn't see that one coming. Light Yagami has been transported to the world of Code Geass. Why was it Light Yagami of all people to be sent through the portal? What happened to Ryuk? And who will Light kill next? And what will Lelouch and the Black Knights do about it? Stay tuned for the next installment of _Zero vs. Kira_: a Code Geass/Death Note crossover.


	2. Chapter 2: Assassination

_Zero vs Kira_

By

CrossoverManiac

Death Note is the property of Tsugumi Ohba. Code Geass is the property of Sunrise. This story is a work of entertainment only.

Chapter 2: Assassination

From Light could gather with his interrogation of Colonel Taurus, he was in sort of alternative universe whose timeline, at some point in the past, diverged from his own. In this one, the democratic government of the United States of America was replaced with the absolute monarchy of the Britannian Empire, and Japan is one of its conquered territories. After renting a room in the one of the rundown slums in the Area 11 ghettos with the money he picked up from his victims in the military compound, Light did a little more digging into this alternative history. China was still an empire and not the communist dictatorship of his world. The European Union was replaced by the more tightly joined conglomerate the Euro-Universe. Light wished he could go back to killing evil doers as Kira, but without further study and planning, it would be a rash action on his part. Not only that, he was Japanese after all, and this 'Britannian Empire' would have to pay a terrible price for enslaving his country.

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The epicenter of the deadly massacre at the 731st Armory was blocked off and access restricted from the public. Britannian soldiers loaded the dead into Haz-Mat trucks. Those moving the bodies were dressed in NBC (nuclear, biological, and chemical) protective gear. The bodies were carried out in stretchers and sealed in plastic bags labeled with the biohazard symbol. Not far, down the road, Rivalz was giving Lelouch a lift on his motorcycle to a new store that Lelouch insisted they check out, when they were impeded by the barricades.

"Oh man," Rivalz groaned, "I told you we should have taken the detour." Rivalz looked crossed with Lelouch.

"Sorry, about that Rivalz," Lelouch apologized, though in reality, Lelouch wasn't sorry at all. The visit to the recently opened store was really pretext to visit the armory on a fact finding mission to find out what happened.

Rivalz rolled his eyes. "Those warning sides were there for a reason you know."

One of the members of the cleanup crew motioned to the Lelouch and Rivalz. "Are you two blind? This is a restricted area. No unauthorized personal is allowed pass this point by order of Viceroy Cornelia."

"We're sorry about it, sir," Rivalz apologized.

"'Sorry' don't cut it!" The soldier said. "Now leave!"

"Well could you at least give us directions?" Lelouch asked as he hopped out of the sidecar. He took a pen and notepad. "We're a bit lost."

"Fine," the soldier huffed. "But make it quick." When Lelouch felt he was far enough away for Rivalz not to hear, he activated his Geass and enthralled the guard to his will.

"Tell me exactly what happened in this armory and keep your voice down low enough that only I can hear it."

"This morning, all personnel from the 731st Armory died from unknown causes. From our initial examination, it appears that they all died from heart attacks most likely brought about by a new chemical or biological agent. Because the security video was erased, we know nothing of the attackers."

"Was there anything important that happened?"

"A laptop went missing, but it was assigned to an enlisted clerk and had low-level clearance."

"Thank you," that'll be all. The soldier snapped to normal.

"So, where are you two going?"

"Oh that's okay. I just remembered how to get there. Thanks anyway." Lelouch smiled at the soldier and walked back to his ride. Lelouch spent the rest of the trip wondering if he would have to deal with another terrorist group and how they manage to pull off such an impressive attack.

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Light lugged a plastic bag into his apartment. The bag was topped off and nearly spilled over with canned goods. He turned on the lights illuminating his humble living space, to use the term loosely. The walls had holes punched in it, some of them bullet holes, others brought into being by time and neglect. The ceiling was stained from water damage from the stream of water dribbling from above. Not that the extended family of cockroaches that scurried under the furniture seem to mind. Light sighed at the living conditions he would have to get used to for now, at least until he can figure a way back to his universe. But if he could never go back, well, he can make a new world for himself here with the Death Note, starting with the liberation of Japan. Light unloaded the bag on the beat up kitchen table until he got the bottom where he took out a video camera, which he bought from a shady man he met in a back alley which he probably stole, and some video editing software. Light looked hesitantly and sighed. It would better if he had a decent camera and program to make his video. Light took pride in his work and hated doing anything shoddy, but he also didn't want to stick his neck out too much either. But he wanted to make damn sure the Britannians got the message.

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A month later

Lelouch lugged into the room and crashed on his bed as if lead weights were chained to his back. He was mentally exhausted. Just an hour ago, Lelouch had a near nervous breakdown upon the revelation that his childhood friend, Suzaku Kururugi, was the pilot of the Lancelot Knightmare frame. It was Suzaku all alone that was the biggest obstacle to his plans to destroy the Britannian Empire. Suzaku, the closest thing he had to a friend since he and his sister Nunnally were exiled to Japan by his own father and left for dead; he and sister left in a nation that hated him and his sister for being children of the invaders. Lelouch knew that, without Suzaku, he wouldn't have lasted a month in Japan. Suzaku was a godsend, and Lelouch could never forget the time when that street gang of Japanese teenagers, bitter youths looking for someone to lash out at in their frustration and misplaced resentment, cornered him and his sister in a back alley. They threatened to gang rape Nunnally and kill him. Even if they weren't cornered, he couldn't flee, not without leaving his crippled sister behind. Thank God that Suzaku was with him. He learned early on how skilled of a fighter he was, and how big of a heart he had. But seven years have turned the world on its head, and now, he and Suzaku are on opposite sides of the war. Lelouch could barely lift his head when Nunnally knocked on his door.

"Lelouch," Nunnally yelled from the other side of the door, "Milly called, she said she had something important to tell you." But Lelouch wasn't in the mood for Milly's foolishness. "Big brother, are you paying attention." Nunnally knocked again. "Lelouch, are you there?"

"I HEARD THE FIRST TIME! NOW SHUT YOUR TRAP AND LEAVE ME ALONE!" Lelouch shouted in annoyance of Nunnally's persistence.

"Big bro...brother I'm sorry..." Nunnally apologized. Lelouch hopped out of bed immediately and rushed to the door and grabbed Nunnally's wheelchair.

"Wait, Nunnally!" Lelouch pleaded.

"Why are you so angry, Big Brother?" Nunnally asked. She was shivering and was almost in tears.

"Please Nunnally, I didn't mean to scare you," Lelouch apologized. He's never snapped at his sister like before. "I'm the one who should be saying 'sorry'." Lelouch stroked Nunnally's head to comfort her and show her that everything was alright.

"What's wrong, Big Brother? Is it that Kallen girl? Does she already have a boyfriend?"

Lelouch chuckled, "No, that's not it. It's something personal that I don't want to talk about right."

"Okay, Big Brother." Nunnally's smile soothed Lelouch.

"I guess I can humor Milly this one time," Lelouch sighed. He took his cell phone out and called Milly.

"Thank heavens you returned my call, Lulu," said Milly. "You don't how worried I was."

"Well, what's the problem," Lelouch said causally.

"Check your email." Lelouch, as Milly instructed, switched his laptop on.

"I hope it's not another stupid chain letter. Because the last time..."

"It's not Lelouch." Milly was uncharacteristically somber. Now Lelouch knows it's serious. Lelouch waited a few more seconds until his computer was booted up. He opened his inbox. Lelouch clicked on the last email Milly sent. The email had a video file attached.

"What am I suppose to be watching?"

"Just open the file. You have to see it for yourself."

"Whatever you say, Milly."

Lelouch opened the video file. It was a recording of the morning news. Two newscasters, one was a man in his early forties with slicked back brown hair, clean shaven, and the other man was much older, thinning hairline, and white mustache. The familiar logo of the Tokyo Hi-TV affiliate flashed on screen. Then the camera focused in on the younger newscaster.

"Bryant Smith here with Hi-TV News," said with a pronounced voice, "the only source of reliable news in Area 11. In our story, Viceroy Cornelia has extended curfews in the Area 11 ghettos from 2100 hours to 2000 hours as a response to further escalation of violence by the terrorist group the Black Knights, and in a related story...wait...Hi-TV morning news has received new information on the attack at the 731st Armory that claimed the lives of 238 brave Britannian soldiers. This is a Hi-TV exclusive. It has been one month after the atrocious massacre at the battalion stationed at the 731st Armory, and now a terrorist group is claiming responsibility." Lelouch flinched. Was it really the ones that attacked the 731st Armory?

"The package was addressed to Hi-TV news," Smith continued, "with no return address except for an ominous phrase 'from the instigator of the 731st massacre'. The package contained a video disk, quite possibly the terrorist's dema...What's that…", Smith stopped his monologue to respond to the morning show producer who was offstage, "Hi-TV news is taking the unprecedented step of airing the terrorist video without prescreening." The move was highly unorthodox enough to cause a commotion with the camera crew. "We must warn you; even Hi-TV does not know the content of the video. Viewer discretion is advised." A television screen between Smith and his co-host switched on to a still frame with the words 'KIRA' on it.

"I am Kira," said the distorted voice, "and I have come to answer the grievances of the people of Japan against the Britannian Empire. For seven years, Japan has been brutally oppressed to satisfy the greed, ambition, and imperialistic tendency of Britannia, but now I am putting an end to that oppression. The Britannian Empire must pull their forces out of Japan in 52 hours from now. If they do not, I will kill the Emperor and his children. And to demonstrate my power, I will take the lives of two of Britannia's agents of propaganda. They will die for spreading lies and misinformation for the sake of the occupation and to make it clear that even the Emperor is defenseless against my power."

The moment Kira's monologue ended, Bryant Smith grabbed his chest and fell back in his chair. The older co-host and some of camera crew personnel came to his aid, but then one of them also grabbed his chest, his face grimaced from agony, and then collapsed to the ground.

"Mr. DePaul, are you okay, sir?" One of the camera crew asked. "Someone call an ambulance for Smith and the producer." Lelouch's popped wide open. This was exactly what happened at the armory. This 'Kira' must have been the one responsible. Lelouch dropped his cell and dashed out of his bedroom.

"Lulu? Lulu? Lelouch!" Milly's voice called out from the abandoned phone. "Hello?"

Lelouch burst through the house and into the living room. "C.C.," Lelouch said sternly.

"No, I never made a contract with anyone named 'Kira'," C.C. said causally as she lounged on the couch munching on a slice of pizza.

"You'd better not be lying."

"I'm not lying."

"I already had dealings with one of your prior acquaintances."

C.C. shot up from the couch standing straight up nearly knocking over the coffee table in front of her. "I'm telling the truth. I don't know anyone by that name, and I don't know anyone with an instant death Geass, either." Lelouch rubbed a sore spot by reminding C.C. of the recent incident with Mao.

"The last person with a Geass contract threatened Nunnally, and now this 'Kira' wants to eliminate the entire Britannian bloodline, and I'm afraid that'll include my sister and me."

"You're really under the gun aren't you?"

"I only hope that Kira thinks we're dead."

C.C. held her chin between her index finger and thumb. "Though one thing puzzles me: how is going to do it. A Geass has a limited range. The maximum theoretically range is line of sight, the end of the horizon; and no Geass has even come close. The royal family is spread all over the globe." C.C. laid back down the couch. "Odds are this Kira is bluffing."

"Either that or there's more than one person with an instant death Geass," Lelouch conjectured.

C.C. shook her head. "Multiple contracts with the same identical Geass? Not possible. The power of Geass is different for each individual. It's nearly impossible for even two people to have the same kind of Geass manifestation."

"We'll see in less than 52 hours from now won't we?" Lelouch paused for a moment. "Fifty-two hours? But why that particular length of time?" Lelouch went back to his room and called Milly.

"Lulu, are you alright?" Milly asked, concerned with the abrupt end of their last call.

"I need to know what time did that broadcast air," said Lelouch.

"It was their early morning broadcast, about 0600, 0610. Why?"

"Kira said he would kill the royal family 52 hours from the time of that broadcast. What's going to happen two days from now that would involve the royal family?"

"The only thing that comes to mind is the Emperor's national address. Let me check." Lelouch bit his lip anxiously waiting for Milly. "It's going to be two days from now at 1000."

It was then, Lelouch realized: Kira was going to kill the royal family during the airing of the national address.

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Imperial Capital of Pendragon

The crowds gathered around the Imperial Palace for Emperor Charles Britannia's international address to the empire and its territory. St. Darwin Street was packed with onlookers on a pilgrimage to see the conquering hero shake a defiant fist at the world. Charles Di Britannia, the modern-day Alexander, as the more nationalistic citizens of the Empire coined him, glossed over the notes for his televised speech. Their warrior king sat on an old-fashioned wooden chair within the confines of the dressing room checking over the finer points of his address. As he was looking over his speech, the dressing room door opened.

"What are you doing here, Big Brother," Charles said without diverting his eyes from the speech. Though it seemed laughable for the imposing two meter tall, barrel-chested Emperor to call the person who walked in his 'big brother', the young boy with platinum blonde hair so long it dragged on the ground as he walked was in fact V.V., the elder twin to the Emperor made immortal by Geass.

"It's time, Charles, as we talked about so long ago," V.V. said as his code activated. This time, Charles put down his notes and gave his 'Big Brother' his full attention.

"And why now?"

"Just take the code, Charles."

"You scare too easy, Big Brother," Charles chuckled. "There's no need to transfer the code. This is probably some trick by Zero to embarrass the Empire."

"Have you dismissed the possibility this is a manifestation of Geass?"

Charles arose from his chair. "No, I haven't, but we both know Geass has a limited range, we are in the safety of the Imperial City, and whoever committed these murders couldn't even leave Area 11 without border security finding out, and a certainty with Cordelia as Viceroy." Charles walked around V.V. and as he was leaving the room, he turned to his brother. "Nothing bad will happen."

A few minutes later, the Emperor stood by his podium. "People of Britannia: Why is it that our proud nation is deserving of its place as the undisputed superpower of the world? It is not because of compassion and fairness? That is the weakness of the EU. Is it the slavish devotion to pacifism? No! That was the weakness of the people of Area 11. It is survival of the fittest, not compassion. It is our inequality, not equality. It is our aggressive nature, not pacifism that..." The Emperor stopped in the middle of his speech and clutched his heart. The palace guards and V.V. rushed to his aid and took hold of him before he fell, but they scarcely held his massive frame up and had to ease the Emperor to the floor.

"I should have listened to you, Big Brother," Charles said with his last breath.

V.V. shook Charles furiously as if he could be saved from death if he could remained conscious, but it was a futile effort. Charles Di Britannia was dead, but he would not suffer this fate alone.

In the front row of the Amphitheatre seating, two more people collapsed. Odysseus and his mother, the first queen of Britannia, fell over, also clutching their ruptured hearts.

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The Lancelot weaved around oversize road cones set up for training on Knightmare frames. Suzaku Kururugi was in the cockpit of the Lancelot giving it a road test after Lloyd and Cecile's tune-up.

"Now rev the speed up another 20 kph, Suzaku," Lloyd ordered over the comm. link. Suzaku nodded and turned around to make another run when he received an emergency call for Princess Cornelia.

"Yes your Majesty," Suzaku politely addressed from the Viceroy.

"Where are you, Kururugi?" Cornelia said in a panicked voice

"I'm at Knightmare hangers running tests..."

"Go to my sister, immediately! She's in her room!"

"Yes, my lord." The Lancelot did a U-turn on the runway and towards the palace.

"Wh...wh...where the hell are you going!" Lloyd yelled.

"Viceroy Cornelia wants me to go to Princess Euphemia."

"But in the Lancelot? Return it back to the hanger, first." Suzaku heard a tussle over the comm.

"Never mind Lloyd," Cecile said, "just go to her." Suzaku nodded and made a mad dash to the palace."

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Light was situated inside an abandoned shack on top of a hill just out of Tokyo. He sat in a lawn chair next to an old wooden kitchen table with the Death Note and a printout of the royal family in front of him and a portable, battery-powered television set propped up in the center of the table. He just wrote down 'Cornelia Li Britannia' in the Death Note and then crossed out her face on the printout.

"I finally found you." Light, startled by the intruder behind him, jumped up and almost kicked the portable TV over. Light backed away and glared into the murky, unlit adjacent room to a pair of glowing red eyes from within.

Light breathed a sigh of relief. "What took you so long?" The pair of fiery eyes closed in on Light until the outline of a face was illuminated by the red glow. The face was one familiar to Light, one he thought he would never see again: Ryuk.

"If you only knew half the trouble I went through just to find you," Ryuk complained, "I'd have a life time supply of apples. But I'll settle for a bushel." Ryuk frowned at Light who was adjusting the television. "Didn't I tell you I don't like being ignored?"

"I heard you Ryuk. By the way, how did you get here, and where is Rem?"

"The same way I got to the human world: the portals in the Shinigami Realm. But don't think you can get back to your home dimension either. Only Shinigami can use them."

"So the Shinigami can travel to alternative realities?"

"Yeah, but it's a hassle because some Shinigami from the other realms don't always take kindly to visits. The Shinigami in the last dimension I was looking chased me around with swords. They even called me names. I don't know why they me 'hollow', but I didn't like it." Then Ryuk paused to think. "But how did you get here?"

"Last thing I remembered before I came here was Rem going back to the Shinigami Realm. The humans here have more advanced technology and were working on teleportation. I think the portal to the Shinigami Realm and the ones created by this universe's humans were connected. That's why I was asking about Rem."

"Oh, as for Rem, she hasn't spoken a word since Misa killed herself. Your girlfriend didn't take your disappearance too well."

"Oh well," Light dismissively said; showing as much empathy for Misa's death as he would show a squashed bug.

"Just what I expected from you Light," Ryuk whispered to himself.

"I'm glad you're here, I can use your help."

"That's what you think!" Ryuk said sternly. "I'm not lifting a finger, not till you pay me back for the hard work of tracking you down."

Light rolled his eyes. That Ryuk! He took his sweet time getting here, and now he's refusing to work.

Ryuk picked up the Death Note. "Boy Light, you're really think it's a good idea to put human rulers on your hit list?"

"I thought about that. I don't normally target heads of states, but this universe's Japan has been brutally oppressed by the Britannians. So, I won't lose much sleep over it.

"But all of them, Light?"

"Well, I thought about keeping one of them alive. I think her name was Euphemia. She has a reputation for being a pacifist and would probably pull out the occupation forces. But..."

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Princess Euphemia was slaving away behind her desk with the tedious chores of Britannian bureaucracy. She flipped through a hodgepodge of graphs and tables of casualties, supplies, budget expenditures, and complex legalese that only lawyers could wrap their brain around without giving themselves a migraine. But as she flipped through the papers, she heard the hum of the Knightmare Frame electric motors close by and getting louder. Euphemia peered out the window and saw the Lancelot coming her way. Suzaku drove up to the third floor balcony to Euphemia's room; close enough that he could hop out of the Lancelot.

"What's wrong Suzaku?" Euphemia greeted him outside and embraced him. It seemed so romantic-the brave knight scaling the high towers to wisp away the princess to be his bride. But this was Suzaku: though Euphemia knew that Suzaku had feelings for her, that he wouldn't be so rash and irresponsible to do such a thing. None the less, it was still nice to dwell on the prospect.

"Mi lady," Suzaku genuflected before her.

Euphemia quickly corrected him, "it's Euphie."

"I'm sorry, Euphie." Suzaku stood up. "Please come with me. You're in grave danger."

"From what?"

"Didn't Cornelia tell you?"

Euphemia shook her head. "I cut off the comm. links so I can concentrate on my work." Euphemia rushed to the vid phone to call Cornelia, but it was Guilford that answered.

"Guilford! Where is my sister?" Euphemia asked, but now her voice was more stressed than before.

"The Viceroy has suffered a heart attack."

"A heart attack!" Euphemia panicked. "Is she okay? Please tell me!"

Guilford shook his head. "I'm afraid she's passed on, mi lady." But then Guilford turned his attention to Suzaku. "Take the Deputy Viceroy to the infirmary, immediately. Her life is in danger."

"Euphie, let's go." Suzaku paused for Euphemia to respond. "Euphie? You have to go to the hospital. They may be able to keep this from happened to you."

"It's too late Suzaku." Euphemia felled to her needs and clutched her chest. "It's hurt."

"Euphie!" Suzaku cried out as he cradled the dying princess in his arms.

Euphemia wrapped her quivering arms around Suzaku. "I wished it didn't end like this. I wanted to become one with you, Suzaku." She closed her eyes and died.

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"But what?"

"She's too soft-hearted," Light said as he wrote 'Euphemia Li Britannia' down in the Death Note. "The Britannian nobility are notoriously ruthless. Euphemia would eventually be assassinated anyway, and a new Emperor from one of the other noble houses would take her place. Rather than risk that, she'll die with the rest of her family." Light set the printout to the side and turned on the portable TV.

"That's it?" Ryuk asked.

"That's all of the immediate royal family," Light answered.

Ryuk chuckled. Light missed two on the bottom of the printout. It took a second for Ryuk to catch on, but then he noticed that the date of their death was listed on the bottom. But Ryuk's Shinigami eyes could see from the old photos of Lelouch and Nunnally Li Britannia that they were still very much alive. Ryuk laughed at the thought of how badly Light slipped up.

"What's so funny, Ryuk?"

"Don't humans get angry when your leaders get assassinated?" Ryuk said in order to mislead Light. "Doesn't your kind start wars over this? Not that we Shinigami are complaining; keeps us from having to work so hard killing your kind."

"I know it's a bit extreme, but I want a war."

Ryuk's bug eyes somehow managed to bulge out in even more. "'Start a war?!?' I thought you wanted to save your people, not get them massacred."

Light smiled as if he was the magician that was about to astound an already awestruck audience still reeling from the last trick. "Let's just say the assassination of the Britannian royal family is just the first part of my plan to win freedom for Japan." As Light was speaking, he glanced back at the laptop beside him.

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Well, so much for the Britannian royal family. And now a new wave of fighting will so break out in Area 11, revenge for the assassination. What is Light planning and how will it put an end to Britannian rule? And what roll will Zero play? Find out in the next chapter of _Zero vs Kira_.


	3. Chapter 3: Alliance

Zero vs. Kira

By

CrossoverManiac

Death Note is the property of Tsugumi Ohba. Code Geass is the property of Sunrise. This story is a work of entertainment only.

Chapter 3-Alliance

Ryuk pointed out the window to a distant explosion in the Tokyo ghetto and chuckled. "I hope for their sakes you hurry up with that big plan of yours," Ryuk's razor-sharp smile betrayed his amusement of the situation. Light will either pull off the best con of his life and bring about a stunning victory or fall flat on his ass and become the god of a dead Japan. Either way, it would be interesting.

Light switched on the TV. Hi-TV News reported the Britannian retaliation against Area 11 for the terrorist attack that claimed the lives of the royal family; and by 'retaliation' they mean slaughter innocent civilians. "Don't worry Ryuk, I have allies, and it won't be long until they show up."

"You made allies. How did you talk them into being allies?"

"I didn't. But I did force their hand."

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Lelouch knew something like this would happen, but not at this magnitude. Despite his doubts, Kira was true to his word. The royal family was wiped out for their refusal to leave Japan. Lelouch thought only some of them would die, but somehow, Kira's Geass was powerful enough to reach across the world and kill at will, if it was a manifestation of Geass. And now the Britannians want revenge.

Lelouch stood up inside the cockpit of the Shinkirō to address his personal army. "My Black Knights, just half an hour ago, Britannian Emperor and his heirs were assassinated. Though their deaths are a welcome relief to the world, it will come with a price. As we are speaking, orders to wipe out the civilian populations in the ghettos has been issued from the imperial capital. We mustn't allow this to happen. I have set up a contingency plan just in case of the assassination was successful. As we speak, the ghetto inhabitants are going into hiding. But the Britannians will track them if they're not stopped."

"Yo Zero," an unshaven Black Knight yelled out.

"Make it quick, Tamaki," said Lelouch, "we deploy in five minutes."

"Are you and Kira partners? Or," he stressed his voice for the second question as a wink and a nod, "are *you* Kira?" There was a commotion from the other Black Knights clamoring for answers. They, too, had questions but didn't have the tenacity to voice them as Tamaki.

"No to both questions!"

"That's it."

"Yes it is, and that's all you need to know." Zero closed the cockpit of his Knightmare frame.

"Tamaki must have gotten under your skin?" C.C. teased Lelouch. She sat in the seat behind him.

"It's not like I have any answers to offer. Kira's as much of a mystery to me. And now thanks to him, I may never know who murder my mother and crippled Nunnally.

"Is that really why you're upset?" Lelouch didn't like what C.C. was hinting at.

"If you mean if I'm jealous," Lelouch paused, closed his eyes, and laugh, "then yes, I am a bit envious. But mostly I feel cheated. Apart from Clovis, the royal family escaped my wrath."

C.C. rolled her eyes, "as if the alternative was much better."

"True, but the honor of dealing the killing blow was supposed to have been mine."

"Spoiled prince," C.C. huffed. Lelouch looked back and smirked.

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Light kept his eyes glued to the TV as he waited for the perfect moment to initiate part 2 of his plan. "My allies are, for lack of a better turn, terrorists. Two days ago, I warned the Britannians to leave or else Kira would kill their royal family in a video broadcasted on the local news."

"I know all about it," Ryuk huffed, "I'd still be hunting you down throughout the multiverse if the other Shinigami helping me search for you didn't catch it. By the way, I owe them forty apples for their help, which means *you* owe them forty apples."

Light rolled his eyes displeased with Ryuk for haggling him for apples. "Back on the subject at hand; I knew all alone they wouldn't leave. In reality, the message was directed at the resistance movement; a warning to them of the coming reprisal by the Britannians over the lost of their royal family. With the power vacuum, it will be the perfect time to liberate Japan."

"But," Ryuk disputed, "What makes you think they can take back Japan when they lost to the Britannians the first time around?"

"Didn't I tell you about the power vacuum in Britannia? As we speak, the other noble houses are vying to take over. Civil war is unavoidable."

"But it won't do you any good. They might not give up Japan even if they're in a civil war, and if they did, they're not leaving without payback." It was then Light propped the laptop on the table and switched it on. When it finished powering up, the name and faces of Britannian military officers appeared. Ryuk chuckled at yet another example of Light's cunning. "You got that at the military base; the one that teleported you here, right?"

Light nodded. "With it, I'll destroy their chain of command. It'll exacerbate the anarchy caused by the death of the royal family. The resistance will have an easy time taking out the rank and file soldiers." A few minutes later, Hi-TV posted warnings that one of the resistance groups, the Black Knights they called them, were attacking Britannian forces. Light then cracked opened the Death Note and began writing the names of the commanding officers in the Area 11 occupation forces starting with the highest ranking officers on down.

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Kallen rolled around the corner in her Gurren and maneuvered between the lead Knightmare Frame, a Gloucester, and four Sutherlands behind. Her Gurren gripped the head of the first enemy frame with its right hand and fired on the other four using the Gloucester as a 'human' shield. It only took a few strategic shots to do the job. Two of the Sutherlands went offline in a fiery death, the third fell over, while the fourth slummed over into an old building partially cracking the outside wall against its weight. Once she was done with her shield, she activated the Fukushahadō and injected destructive energy into the Gloucester. It bumbled up before bursting from the inside out.

"That should be the last of them here," Kallen said to herself. "41-9 secured," she radioed back to Zero.

"The battle is going better than expected," C.C. commented on Kallen's success in taking the heart of the Shinjiku Ghetto. But Lelouch wasn't so thrilled, which was obvious by the look of apprehension on his face. "With Kyoshiro taking section 45-8, the Britannians will have to surrender," C.C. said trying to invoke a position response from Lelouch.

"Guilford may not be the best general in the world, but he's no slouch either."

"What are you saying?"

"The Britannians forces have been growing more disorganized as the battle progressed."

"It's not out of the ordinary for the main enemy force to lose cohesion and break up into small independent units if they're losing."

"Not this badly they don't. Even without orders from the homeland, they should be putting up more of a fight. We're barely suffered any casualties."

"You think they may be trying to lure us into a trap?"

"Perhaps. I still haven't ruled out the possibility that 'Kira' isn't some ruse thought up by Schiezel and my father however unlikely it is."

"I'm getting a message from Yoshitaka. He said they have Guilford's Knightmare frame surrounded."

"Already?" Lelouch blurted out. C.C. nodded. "Tell Yoshitaka to relay a visual." Zero and C.C. gazed at the view screen to their left. The image of a Gloucester buried face down from the lower half of its torso to its knees in a pile of concrete and bent girders. It didn't look quite right to Lelouch. He adjusted the video feed, and the screen zoomed out revealing the Gloucester was underneath a nine-story parking garage when it collapsed. It then occurred to Lelouch why this looked odd. There isn't anymore other damage done to the building nor were the Black Knights deep enough into enemy territory to strike the killing blow. It appeared as if the Gloucester just simply crashed. Lelouch zoomed back in on the Gloucester and could find no sign of enemy fire.

"It's Guilford's Knightmare, alright," C.C. said, "or at least one of the Gaston Knights."

"We radioed to Guilford to surrender but he isn't responding. Do we have the order to fire?" Yoshitaka requested.

"Not yet." Lelouch ordered. "In fact, check inside the cockpit."

"Are you sure about that?" Yoshitaka said hesitantly. Guilford's reputation as a Frame pilot was not to be likely, even in this fallen state.

"I'm positive."

"O...o...okay." Yoshitaka cautiously pulled up next to the fallen Gloucester in his Knightmare frame and brushed off the debris. The Knightmare then pried its fingers into the joints between the cockpit and main body. The cockpit slowly crept open. Lelouch could see the pilot; his body slumped over and held in place only by the seat harness.

"Yoshitaka," Lelouch ordered, "see who that man is." But the black ponytail and type of frame was a dead giveaway that it was Guilford, which was confirmed as Yoshitaka tilted his head up.

"What do you want to me to do with Guilford's body?" Yoshitaka did not get a reply for his question from Lelouch. "Zero?"

"That's it for now," Lelouch said finally breaking his silence. "Finish securing the area." When Yoshitaka broke communication, Lelouch slammed his fist into the console and cut off communication.

"Damn you, Kira."

"Gee, it's a shame everything is going as planned," C.C. mocked Lelouch.

"Yeah, as Kira planned it."

C.C. was surprised. "Kira planned this all out?"

"He started this battle: the video message, the assassination, and now this. If I'm right, the Britannian command structure for Area 11 was already dead by the time the battle started." Lelouch balled his hands up so tight, they turned red. C.C., ever stoically, gazed nonchalantly

"But if Kira's that powerful, then why not kill all of the Britannians?"

Lelouch's eyes shot wide open. "You're right!" He was dumb-founded that he didn't realize it sooner.

"Lelouch?" C.C. sheepishly tried to get his attention. The console was a Christmas light decoration as Lelouch was inundated with messages from the divisions of Black Knights all over Area 11 awaiting orders. "They're waiting for your next order."

It started as a snicker, and then as a chuckle, and finally exploding into uproarious laughter. C.C. hasn't heard Lelouch laugh so loudly since he found out Suzaku was the White Knight. C.C. was fearful that Lelouch was having a mental breakdown. Maybe, he wasn't strong-willed enough to persevere; the burden too great for Lelouch to shoulder.

"This Kira," Lelouch said trying to catch his breath, "I let him get the better of me. I didn't occur to me that he could have killed the Britannians off himself. Kira has completely caught me off my guard, but now that I've cooled down a bit, I won't permit my emotions to cloud my judgment. Once our base of operations at Ashcroft Academy is set up, we're heading to the 731st Armory for some answers."

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Ohgi had a grin a mile wide as he walked up the flight of stairs to his apartment. About a half-hour from now, the sun will rise on a new day, a fresh new start for the people of Japan. Things were finally looking up. The Black Rebellion was a stunning success. Britannia's royal family is dead and now the occupation forces have completely fallen in only a day's worth of fighting. Things did get intense at Ashcraft Academy with that psycho girl with the bomb, though. He wondered if Rakshata's Britannian friend was right about it destroying the whole city. He just shook his head and chuckled. Nothing is that powerful, he thought. Ohgi was so excited about the prospects of a free Japan, that he snuck away from Ashcroft Academy to tell Chigusa the good news. He unlocked his door and entered into the murky room illuminated only the flickering lights of the television left on the news channel and their continuous coverage of the fighting in Area 11. The silhouette of a woman set by the television. He flipped on the lights and saw his beloved Chigusa sitting with her head reclining back.

"She fell asleep waiting for me to come home," Ohgi whispered to himself. "Wake up Chigusa, I have good news." But Chigusa didn't respond. "Chigusa?" Ohgi called her name again, but still no response. Ohgi leaned over her. "You must be worn out, Chigusa. But I can't let you sleep on the couch," Ohgi said as he reached over and nudge her on the shoulder. But instead of waking up, Chigusa slumped over fell to the floor. Ohgi took her arm to feel her pulse and pulled back when he felt how cold her body was. "How?!?" He pressed the palm of his hand on Chisgusa's diaphragm while feeling her pulse with the other. There was no sign of life. Ohgi's hand trembled; his breathing became heavier. "Chigusa!" Ohgi wailed.

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Vinetta Nu is yet another causality of Light Yagami's quest to become the god of a new world, and she certainly won't be the last. Who will be next to feel the wrath of Kira? And what will Lelouch do to stop them? Find out in the next chapter of "Zero vs. Kira".


	4. Chapter 4: Investigation

_Zero vs Kira_

By

CrossoverManiac

Death Note is the property of Tsugumi Ohba. Code Geass is the property of Sunrise. This story is a work of entertainment only.

Chapter 4: Investigation

Flashback: Ashford Academy-Night of the Black Rebellion

'Lelouch will pay'-that thought played in V.V.'s mind in a loop that would end only with the death of Marianne's bastard children. His mind clouded with the image of his little brother Charles slipping away. "I should have killed them both along side their mother," V.V. mumbled to himself. He darted from shadow to shallow until he made it to the front entrance of the student council building, which was guarded by some of the Black Knights. There he waited for an opportunity to strike, and Lady Luck provided him the distraction he needed. An antiquated Knightmare Frame piloted by one of the students came out of nowhere. The pilot was ranting that she would avenge Princess Euphemia. Perfect! As the guards directed their attention at the mayhem caused by the student, V.V. gunned them down and ascended the stairways towards the room Lelouch and Nunnally stayed. He clenched tightly in his hands the automatic rifle that he murdered Marianne with. How fitting he would kill them too with the same weapon. Die Lelouch. Die Nunnally. But before he could barge into the room, a petite girl with pink hair stepped in front of him.

"Knight of Six, what are you doing here?" It was Anya Alstreim, one of the twelve Knights of the Round.

"I came to check on you, V.V." There was something odd about her. Anya was smiling playfully. She was the complete opposite of how Charles described her. The Knight of Six was suppose to be a somber, quiet girl; detached from the world around her. But she's grinning like a naughty preschooler plotting some sort of mischief.

"Stand out of my way," V.V. ordered, "I have important business to tend to." Then V.V. realized something: the Knight of Six knew his name. V.V. stopped in his tracks. "Did the Emperor tell you who I am?"

Anya grinned. "I've known that for quite some time, brother-in-law." Anya pulled a submachine gun, the same make and model, from behind her and fired. V.V. felt fiery darts piecing his back gouging a path though his vital organs. The immortal child collapsed.

"What comes around goes around, brother-in-law," Anya gloated over the fallen V.V. As V.V. was losing consciously, he stared at his attack standing right beside the Knight of One, Bismarck Waldstein.

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Lelouch was greeted at the door of the once high school storage room turned makeshift hold cell by Ohgi. "Are all the high-ranking officers who survived here?" Ohgi didn't answer but, instead, gazed down at the floor. "Ohgi!" Lelouch yelled.

Ohgi snapped at attention. "Ye...ye...yes, Zero."

"Are all of the Britannian officers in this room?"

"Yes, of course," Ohgi opened the door for Lelouch.

Five Britannian officers were handcuffed to each other with the officer on the far left handcuffed to a boiler pipe running into the radiator.

Lelouch moved in front of the prisoners. "Soldiers of Britannia cooperate with me and no harm shall come to you."

"Colonel Brandi Patterson, R74241C," the woman on the right of Lelouch droned on. The others went along Patterson. Standard Britannian protocol when captured by the enemy was to give name, rank, and serial number; nothing else.

Lelouch made a gesture to the guards. They understood the unspoken order and pounded the prisoners with their rifle butts.

"Enough," Lelouch commanded. The guards ceased beating the prisoners and backed away.

"Soldiers of Britannia, will you continue your defiance of Zero or will you," the slit on Lelouch's mask opened, "answer truthfully all my questions as long as you are in this room?" The five POW's were now under the sway of Lelouch's Geass.

"We'll answer whatever you ask of us," Patterson said.

"What unit do you belong to?"

"My second-in-command and X.O.," Patterson said pointing to the two men besides her, "were assigned to the 731st Armory the day after the massacre."

Lelouch then recalled the missing laptop stolen from the armory. "Where were you stationed before being assigned to the 731st?"

"Fort Huxley in Phoenix." So far, it appears Kira knew who to strike from the laptop he/she/they took. The records would be a month old. Changes prior to that would go unnoticed.

"What about you Major..." Lelouch glanced at the name tag on this coat, "...Price. When were you assigned to Area 11?"

"A week ago."

"Did you replace an officer killed in the Armory massacre?"

"Colonel Horace York was promoted and assigned to the European front."

"Diethard," Lelouch called on his cell phone, "there's a colonel in the Britannian army named Horace York on the EU front. Check and see if he's dead or still alive."

Twenty minutes later, Diethard paid Zero a personal visit with some files on hand.

"Is Horace York still alive?"

"No, he died yesterday of a heart attack, and he wasn't the only one. I had a feeling you were looking for victims of Kira outside of Japan." He waved the files in his hand.

"Did they all transfer from Japan within the last month?"

"I noticed that as well."

"Are they recent transfers as well?"

"All except for the man on the far end; he's the head of the medical corps. He was probably spared because of his non-combat role." The prisoner in question had the Britannian medical corps' distinct patches and insignia.

"Perfect," Lelouch addressed the medical officer. "Did the Britannians examine the victims of the 731st Massacre?"

"Yes, autopsies were performed on of the victims."

"How many?"

"All of them."

Under his mask, Lelouch gritted his teeth. This isn't good. The Britannians wouldn't have wasted their time if they found something right away. They were as desperate as him to find out how so many soldiers just dropped dead for no reason.

"Did they find anything?"

"Only that they died of heart attacks. There were blood samples in the restricted area where they performed top secret weapons testing, but none of the soldiers were cut so it's believed the blood came from the perpetrators."

"What about DNA evidence?"

"Sorry, but the samples were contaminated with industrial-strength cleaning solvent. The DNA strands were too badly damaged. Whoever it was is knowledgeable in forensic science."

Should have known it wasn't going to be that easy, thought Lelouch. He turned his attention back to Diethard and asked, "Those are the only officers that transferred?"

"We won't know until I get a chance to look over the personnel records, though I believe they might have been one or two more that Kira missed but were killed during the battle by our own men." Diethard said as he fanned himself with the files.

"Everything seems to revolve around that single event," Lelouch huffed.

"Do you think the attack on the armory was perpetrated in order to obtain the Britannians' personnel files, and if so, why wait a whole month to attack?"

"The real question is 'how' and not 'why'."

Lelouch and Diethard left Ashford Academy to pay Rakshata a visit at what was left of the 731st Armory. They were escorted by one of the Black Knights though the cracks and hole-ridden hallways into a door labeled 'RESTRICTED AREA-TOP SECRET CLEARANCE ONLY'. On the other side was a room around the same size and height of a high school gymnasium. In the center of the room was a huge piece of machinery. It was a giant metallic rectangle with a transparent coil on the corners with a giant crystalline claw on the end of a giant 'arm' hanging over the designated test area. The machine had gaps in it and loose wires hanging out. There were also protective concrete barriers surrounding the machine. The barriers were six feet tall with a tampered cross-section that thickened at the bottom. One of them had an instrument panel built into it. Rakshata was on a ladder inspecting the machine.

"Rakshata," Lelouch said sternly, "what are you doing here?" The Indian scientist frowned at Lelouch. "We went to the morgue to check on your progress, but, instead, we find you here. I ordered you to supervise the autopsies."

"I'm an engineer, not a doctor. I deal in servos and circuitry, not dead bodies." Rakshata had a sour look on her face when she mentioned 'bodies'.

"I needed you at the morgues to confirm or dismiss the theories on how Kira kills."

Rakshata climbed down the ladder. "Already done; and neither of them fits what we know about Kira's powers."

"Is that so?" Lelouch wasn't so sure if that was true or Rakshata is just trying to do a rush job because she doesn't like dealing with corpses.

"According to our first hypothesis, a directed energy weapon was used to paralyze involuntary muscle functions stopping the heart similar to how tazers can cause paralysis of voluntary motor functions; possibly a plasma or particle-beam weapon. And that Kira's ability to eliminate multiple targets across the globe at the same time is merely showmanship and that Kira is really an organization armed with experimental weapons."

But Rakshata shook her head dismissively. "The problem with our beautiful theory was some very ugly facts. Particle and plasma weapons leave very, *very* distinct signs. I could tell just by looking at the bodies that they weren't used. The autopsies only confirmed it. Besides, I could tell it was a long shot by watching the footage of the Britannian Emperor and his son Odysseus dying. If it was a directed-energy weapon, the bystanders would have been caught in the path of the beam."

"What was the other theory?" Diethard asked.

Rakshata took out her pipe, lit it, and took a drag. "Radio-controlled capsules containing poison; similar to the transmitters fed to birds and salmon to track their migration. They're the size of a grain of rice and lodge itself in the stomach, though it's possible they can be made even smaller." Rakshata sucked hard her pipe and was taking puffs without a pause. Diethard worked around plenty of heavy smokers in the news room to know Rakshata was taking a smoke to calm her nerves. "The medical examiners peeled those Britannian soldiers layer by layer like onions, and we still couldn't find anything. By the way, how did you get them to do the autopsies? They're Britannian doctors."

"I'm persuasive. Get back on subject."

"We didn't just concentrate on the digestive tract. We check the lungs, in case it was somehow inhaled however unlikely that was, and then we checked under the skin..."

"This is asinine," Diethard protested. "Is this all you can come up with Rakshata?"

The Indian scientist stomped her foot. "I don't see you coming up with a better explanation!" Diethard backed out of arm's reach of Rakshata.

"Settle down!" Lelouch held his hands up. "Diethard, Rakshata is doing the best she can."

"But Zero, none of these explanations are satisfactory. What organization is large enough to pull this off without being noticed? Someone would have found out about their plans long before they could pull it off."

"I'm aware of how improbably our hypotheses were," said Lelouch, "but we set distinct criteria for how the deaths occurred: the ability to kill from a distance even from across the globe, without a trace, and in large numbers." Nonetheless, Lelouch shared in Diethard's frustration. If Kira's method of killing wasn't found, the Black Knights would be at his mercy. Though the forensics was fruitless, the investigation has shown one pattern: Kira must know the identity of the intended target, but was it because he has to know the victim's identity or just know who to target? And it didn't explain how he killed the soldiers in the base. No, that assuming he didn't find out before hand. The blood on the floor might have been from the attempt to gather that information. No, it didn't make sense. Knowing the target is one thing, but having to know the target's identity?

"Diethard, pass down the order: under no circumstance are the Black Knights are to reveal their true identities. Anonymity may be the only defense we have against Kira."

"Understood," Diethard nodded and exited the room.

"Rakshata, concentrate only on Kira. Our survival may depend on it."

"But I am." Rakshata tapped the machine with her pipe.

"We're already been though this. The Britannians shipped most of its components back to the capital. There isn't enough of it here to tell us what it was for."

"What if Kira is a Britannian military experiment gone wrong?"

"No!"

"If you give a chance I'm sure..."

"No! The only concern you should have is to examine those bodies." As Lelouch spoke, Rakshata sighed disdainfully. Just then, Lelouch's phone rang. "Yes, Ohgi," Lelouch said in an annoyed voice. "What is it now?"

"There's an incident at the royal hospital. It's that Kururugi guy; the one piloting the Lancelot. He's held up in one of the rooms in the hospital."

"What's he doing there?" Lelouch panicked.

"I don't know. He was there when our forces took it over. He didn't offer any resistance, but then, all of a sudden, he went berserk."

"I'm on my way. Don't take any action until I get there, and no harm is to come to Kururugi.

Ohgi huffed. "Yeah, sure, whatever Zero." Lelouch made a mental note to find out what's been bothering Ohgi and to straighten out his worsening attitude.

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Zero, Ohgi, and eight rank-and-file Black Knights exited the elevator to the ICU, intensive care unit. The hospital was in relatively good shape. The Black Knights faced no resistance taking the facility. It was now being used to treat their own.

The ICU showed no signs of the battle that took place just yesterday except for some bullet holes along the wall in front of the room on the far end of the hallway.

Ohgi pointed to the door in front of the bullet-ridden segment of the hallway.

"Kururugi is inside?" Lelouch asked.

"Of course he's inside! That's why I brought you here!" If Lelouch wasn't busy dealing with Suzaku, he'd put Ohgi in his place for that outburst.

"Suzaku Kururugi," Lelouch called out from beside the bullet holes. He heard the metallic clicking of a magazine clip inserted into an automatic weapon and a round fed into the chamber.

"Zero, is that you?" Suzaku asked.

"It is, but what are you doing here?" Lelouch had been so preoccupied with Kira that it just occurred to him Suzaku was not in the battle. "Are you not the pilot of the Lancelot? Wasn't your duty to Britannia?"

"I jointed the Britannian army to change things from within. But now it seems so pointless. The only thing in this world that really mattered to me is gone. Even so, I won't let you have her."

"Have who?" Zero peered into the room.

"Don't come any closer." Suzaku stood in front of the now deceased Euphemia. "I know what you've been doing to the people Kira murdered. Even I didn't think you'd stooped so low. So, I slipped away from your guards and saw it with my own eyes." Suzaku's eyes blazed up in rage. "I won't let you desecrate Euphie's body." The autopsies is what got Suzaku riled up.

"I assure you, Suzaku Kururugi, Euphemia's remains will be treated with the utmost care."

"LIAR!" Suzaku yelled. The submachine gun vibrated as Suzaku's hand became unsteady. "I saw what you did to Cornelia. I almost didn't recognize her. I'll die before you do the same to Euphie!"

Suzaku, Lelouch thought in the back of his mind, you are so quick to throw your life away. It was Mao claimed. Suzaku had a death wish; one that's been with him since the day he murdered his father seven years ago. What did Mao say? Oh yeah, 'a bad child wanting to punished'. Lelouch made that terrible decision to bend the will of his best friend to save him from himself.

"Suzaku Kururugi, you honestly think Princess Euphemia would want you to sacrifice yourself for her lifeless corpse?"

"EUPHIE DIDN'T WANT TO DIE IN THE FIRST PLACE!"

"Suzaku," the slit over the Geass eye opened, "live; live for Princess Euphemia."

Lelouch didn't want to his Geass on Suzaku, but it was either that or kill him.

"I must live for Euphie?" Suzaku repeated Lelouch's command.

"And you won't be able to if you don't surrender. Even you can't fight your way out."

Suzaku laid down his weapon. The Black Knights cornered Suzaku and aimed their rifles at him. Suzaku then snapped out of his gaze. "What's going on? How did you get in here? Where's my gun?"

"You finally accepted the futility of your actions and surrendered," said Lelouch.

Suzaku lunged at Lelouch, but the Black Knights held him back. "No, that's not true. I...", Suzaku struggled to remember. "What did you do to me? I don't remember giving up."

"It must be fatigue from the stress." It wasn't Lelouch's best lie, but it would have to do. "It's affecting you mentally."

"Forgive me Euphie," Suzaku cried.

"Take Princess Euphemia to the morgue and inform Rakshata no autopsy will be performed on her." Lelouch ordered. He then said to Suzaku, "you may stay with her highness until arrangements can be made to deliver the body to the Britannian homeland."

"Thank you, Zero," Suzaku breathed a sigh of relief. The Black Knights and Suzaku carried Euphemia's body away on a stretcher.

"Zero," Ohgi said staring at the hospital bed Euphemia once occupied. "That deal you made with Kururugi?"

"What about it? You'd rather if I string her up and put her on display?"

"No, you got it all wrong. Make the same deal with me that you made with Kururugi!"

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lelouch glanced over Ohgi's apartment. It was rather well kept. The furniture was the best a Japanese man could afford without being an honorary Britannian. But one thing struck him as odd; a laptop on the table playing footage of Ohgi's home from varying angles. Lelouch saw himself and Ohgi in the window display on the center left. He waved his hand around while looking at the monitor. There was a hidden camera in the light fixture.

"You kept your Britannian prisoner under close watch?" Lelouch asked rhetorically.

Ohgi nodded. "I'd plan to get information about the Britannians from her. Things didn't work out as planned, though." Ohgi looked away from Lelouch conflicted between the lost of his beloved and the shame of being caught keeping secrets from his comrades in arms. "Chigusa and I grew close."

"You fell for her, didn't you?"

"Yeah, some terrorist I turned out to be." Ohgi led Lelouch to his bathroom. In the tub was the body Villetta Nu immersed in water and ice. She was still dressed in the same outfit that Ohgi found her in. Her hair spread out over the ice cubes floating on the surface of the water. Despite the discoloration of the skin, the first stage of decomposition, she looked like an angel asleep on the clouds in the sky and the ice cubes glittered like diamonds. "I fall in love with the enemy."

"I'll order Rakshata to stop the autopsies. There's nothing to be gained from this butchery. She can go back working on finding out what the Britannians were testing when Kira killed them. You can make the burial arrangements for her."

Ohgi tensed up and braced himself for the consequences of keeping this a secret from Zero. "I accept my punishment for keeping secrets from you, Zero."

"I'll deal with you later, but right now, there's more pressing matters. Ohgi, did you find her before or after the 731st Massacre?"

Ohgi paused for a second. "About three days before the massacre."

"And the Britannians wouldn't have listed her MIA until she's gone missing for 72 hours *after* the report's been filed and it wouldn't have been reported right away. It's safe to assume those killed by Kira were active military personnel in combat rolls and assigned to Japan at the time of the massacre, which would include the soldiers killed in the armory. If this was the result of an unknown organization, they wouldn't have bothered tracking down one missing Britannian officer with amnesia and kill her. Kira was unaware of neither her nor the soldiers that transferred after the massacre. If Kira was doing something to the Britannians, then how was he able to harm your lover?"

"Well, actually," Ohgi interrupted, "we didn't go that far in our..." Ohgi shut his mouth when it occurred to him he wasn't exactly on good standing with Zero. "Nevermind," Ohgi said apologetically.

"And if Kira did do something to them before the attack, let's say, poison them; then why steal the personnel files in the first place?" Could it, Lelouch thought, Kira has to know the identity of his victim?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ashford Academy

Was Lelouch dead? The question plagued Milly's subconscious. Lelouch went on an errand. It was just before the school assembly when the Emperor was giving his international address; before he was struck dead. Fearing Kira's threat, Milly invoked her authority as the president of the student council and demanded Lelouch stay put. She even tried the last refuge of scoundrels and invoked patriotism and Lelouch's responsibility as vice-president to attend the event, but Lelouch wouldn't have any of it. No doubt his 'errand' was to gamble a nobleman out of his money. He sidestepped the meeting and ran off. He hasn't been back since. Though, not being at the school might be a good thing. Ashford Academy was now the Black Knight's headquarters.

The students who didn't flee the school when fighting broke out were herded into the assembly hall for safe keeping. The chairs were piled outside to make room for the students to sleep on the floors, which was a difficult task. The floor was thinly-carpeted and offered as much comfort as a boulder covered in moss. Body heat and the perspiration from the students made the assembly hall into a sauna. Milly, Shirley, Nunnally, and Rivalz were busy fanning Nina who passed. The guards refused to let the girl out for fresh air. They locked the exits except for the main one and that was heavily guarded by Black Knights with machine guns. In the enclosed space, the six guards could easily wipe out the remaining students in a matter of seconds. Milly felt a tap on the shoulder.

A woman dressed in a sultry version of the Black Knight uniform, short skirt, no sleeves, which was tight enough to highlight her hourglass figure and ample bosom poked her on the shoulder. But what struck Milly the most was that the green-haired woman was more Britannian in appearance than Japanese.

"You? Is this boy a student?" The boy the green-haired woman pointed to was Lelouch.

"Unfortunately, he is." Milly said spitefully. "Lelouch, where the hell have you been?!?

"Big Brother!" Nunnally rejoiced.

Lelouch gave her little sister a hug. "I glad you're safe Nunnally."

"Don't change the subject, Lulu." Milly scolded.

"Milly, I can explain."

"Don't bother. You went gambling again! They probably found you in a casino. We were worried sick. I thought you might have been killed!"

"Hey settle down!" A guard yelled.

"Don't worry, I got it covered." The green-haired woman said. "You," the green-haired girl addressed the student council. "Tell the other student that this boy is our go-between. He'll be in and out the detention center coordinating with us. You answer to him, and he answers to us. Understood?" The others nodded. "As for you," she said addressing Lelouch, "if they get out of line, it'll be your neck on the line."

"Yes, ma'am," said Lelouch.

"Why she's on their side?" Shirley asked. "Isn't she Britannian?"

"More like EU going by the accent." Milly commented.

"And why did they put you in charge?" Rivalz glowered suspiciously at Lelouch.

"Convenience, I guess," Lelouch said with a sheepish grin on his face. "I just happened to bump into them, and when they checked my I.D., they sent me back to the academy."

"There's something on the news." A student pointed to the large screen TV in the front of the assembly hall.

"Dammit! They weren't supposed to leave that off." Lelouch cursed.

"What was that Lulu?" Milly asked.

"Umm...nothing." Almost slipped up that time, Lelouch ostracized himself in his mind. Lelouch ordered his men not to give out outside information. If the Britannians were to retaliate, misguided students may try to stage a revolt and get their classmates killed in the process.

"Look like the Brits picked their new emperor," a guard scorned. "The guy must have a death wish."

Milly gasped when she saw the figure on the screen. "It can't be."

"What's wrong, Prez?" Rivalz asked.

"It's my fiancé, Lloyd."

Standing between two barrel-chested security guard was Milly's fiancé, Cecile and Suzaku's boss, and the inventor of the Lancelot Knightmare Frame, Lloyd Asplund dressed in the royal uniform donned by the late emperor Charles Britannia.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Looks like Lloyd got himself quite a promotion...or the world's most hazardous job. Will Lloyd be next on Light's list of world leaders to kill? What happened to V.V.? What will Lelouch do with knowledge gained in his investigation of Kira? Tune in next time for Chapter Five of Zero vs. Kira.

And thanks to the people who read and comment on my fic. And apologies for taking so long. Between writer's block and real world stuff, I haven't had the time. But now I got over my writer's block and my priorities straight (who needs the real world when you have anime LOL), my hope is that I can get the chapters out in a much faster rate.

Fan fic notes:

The timeline for this fic starts at the point in the Death Note series between the time Light met Misa Amane and his imprisonment by L and one month before Lelouch and just after Shirley shot Villetta Nu and discovered Lelouch is Zero.

Assuming it takes Light three seconds to write a name, and an average of ten minutes per hour to rest his hand, he could write about 1000 names in the Death Note per hour. From 10 am to late at night, I estimate the death toll in the Black Rebellion contributed to the Death Note to be 10,000 to 12,000. Light concentrated on the command structure of the Britannian army leaving the enlisted personnel to the Black Knight.

I'm also assuming that C.C. has a British accent since she spent most of her immortality in the region of the world and dialects set in by early adulthood, though with my luck, she's probably French.

Shirley has yet the find the note she wrote Lelouch where she rediscovered Lelouch's identity as Zero.

I also assumed the time between Shirley shooting Villetta Nu and Lelouch finding out Suzaku was the pilot of the Lancelot is one month. But odds are this happened over a longer span of time. So just go with me on this.


	5. Chapter 5: Puppet

Zero vs Kira

By

CrossoverManiac

Death Note is the property of Tsugumi Ohbi. Code Geass is the property of Sunrise. This story is a work of entertainment only.

Chapter 5: Puppet

The new emperor closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Umm...People of Britannia...umm...hear me out." Whatever apprehension Lelouch had concerning the introduction of the new emperor stirring up dissent among the students disappeared. "Umm...the...what was I suppose to say next?" The Black Knights laughed uproariously while the students face-palmed in embarrassment.

"Oh thanks," Emperor Lloyd said to someone off-screen. He looked over his right shoulder and squinted. "The ruthless murder of our beloved royal family will not go unpunished. I shake fist at the camera as your emperor...I meant...as your emperor," Lloyd said shaking his fist at the camera, ", I will begin my reign by bathing Area 11 with the blood of the cowardly Numbers that have rebelled against our glorious empire." Though Lloyd's words were gung ho and with undaunting determination, the way they were spoken was timid and clumsy. "As I speak, Britannia has rallied together as one irresistible force. Together, we will crush this pretty rebellion."

"'Pretty rebellion'?!? Is he trying to compliment them?" Rivalz huffed.

"I think he meant 'petty rebellion'", Milly moaned. There was a chorus of sighs from the academy students. The Black Knights were a bit more jovial.

"Is this the best the Brits can throw at us?" One of them chuckled.

"It's going to be a cakewalk beating Britannia if that's their new king." Another Black Knight scoffed.

"Unless Kira gets to him first," said the third Black Knight jovially.

* * *

Lloyd exhaled in relief and hung down his head when the director gave the cue to cut off the camera. It was tough for Lloyd to get in front of millions of people and even more so when he was threatening them with annihilation. But he really didn't have a choice.

Flashback

* * *

Cecile and Lloyd piled out of Cecile's compact car. They were still a quarter-mile away from the private jet waiting for them on the paved testing grounds for the Lancelot when the road was dammed up by abandoned vehicles. The two Britannians panted as they fled. Their lungs gasped for air as they struggled to run.

"I can't believe we managed to slip away from the Black Knights," Cecile said gasping for air.

"I'd thank Nina for the distraction if she wasn't trying to blow Tokyo off the map." The Earl of Pudding said in a whizzing voice.

They were about to board the private jet when men in suits stepped out. Cecile noticed the three-point family crest of a stag and a ram circling an oak tree sowed on their coats. "Did you hire bodyguards?"

"No, I don't. Maybe they're my parents' personal guards?" Lloyd replied, "but what are they doing...hey!" The men grabbed hold of Lloyd and shoved Cecile out of the way. The private plane hummed as it fired up its jet engines. Cecile had to flee or else get caught in the wake its scolding hot exhaust.

* * *

End of Flashback

After the stage manager called 'cut' on the conference, a middle-age blonde dressed in a red skirt and blouse and white vest stomped unto the stage in white stilettos. The woman yanked Lloyd by the collar to her eye level.

"You moron!" Lloyd's head bounced back and forth buffered by the woman's open-handed blows. The glowering mouth distorted the tight skin stretched from her cheekbones to her jaw. Hers was a face that went under the knife of a plastic surgeon one time too many.

"You didn't like the speech?" Lloyd said in his usual dry humor.

"You call that a speech! A retard could have done better!" The woman brought Lloyd to his knees with a swift kick in the groin. "You've made a travesty of our glorious Britannia!" The woman held out her hand, and a servant handed her a cigarette. She pressed it against her lips and took a puff as the servant lit it for her. "That's better," she slowly exhaled the smoke from her lungs. "I'm disappointed Lloyd."

"I'm so sorry I didn't live up to your standards, Ms. Penelope."

Penelope took another drag from her cigarette. "I bet you are." She causally circled Lloyd. "And you'd better shape up. The burden of representing the empire is on your shoulders. Our wounded empire can't afford to give the impression that the leadership is incompetent." She took another deep drag and blew smoke in Lloyd's face.

"I'm not really cut out to be emperor," Lloyd coughed. "Maybe you should show initiative and become empress. Or are you too afraid of Kira?"

Penelope yanked Lloyd by the collar again. "Don't be a smartass with me you lowly earl. You're only permitted to say what I tell you to say. Is that understood?"

"And what if I let the word out that you're the one really running things?"

Lloyd screamed when Penelope put out her cigarette on the back of his neck. "If Kira were to kill you, it would be over in seconds. If you defy me, my interrogators will drag out the process for weeks. I'll make you wish Kira did kill you."

Lloyd rubbed the cigarette burn. "Okay you win. I'll play the role of powerless figurehead for you."

"That's better." Penelope snapped her fingers. The burly guards snapped to attention. "Escort the Emperor to his room and make sure he practices for tomorrow's conference and that he doesn't stop until he has his lines down perfectly. And do the same for Margaret Tutor just in case Kira kills him." Lloyd shivered at how callously Penelope spoke of his demise.

* * *

Light and Ryuk watched a rebroadcast of Lloyd's speech on his tiny black and white set in the abandoned shack outside the Tokyo city limits. The speech was heavily edited with Lloyd's more embarrassing movements snipped out, and it showed in the badly butchered video segments.

"That human is really stupid," Ryuk cackled.

"No, that's not it," said Light. He intently scrutinized the speech. The facial expression, the stuttering, the shaky hands-these weren't the features of a political hawk rattling his saber. No, it was a frightened man pretending to be brave. It was obvious what was going on. "I know what they're up to. I just don't know who's up to it."

"Whacha talkin' about Light?" Ryuk asked.

"Britannia's new leaders are hiding in the shadows and offering this Lloyd Asplund as bait, no, as a distraction for Kira. Emperor Lloyd is nothing more than a token ruler."

"Cleaver of them huh?"

"No, it's stupid. I'm almost insulted. Did they really think it would go unnoticed that someone for a minor noble family was put on the throne? I've never heard of the Asplunds and I've studied the power structure of the Britannian Empire just in case one of the noble families succeeded in securing the throne. I didn't anticipate this move just on the basis of its folly.

"What will you do now, Light?"

"I could finish off all of the nobility with one or two pages of the Death Note. But then the generals will fight for control of the Empire. It would be a global civil war. I needed unrest in the Empire for my plans to liberate Japan but too much will cause instability in my world. I'll do a little research and find the identity of this shadow ruler."

* * *

Cecile cuddled up next to Suzaku. "Thank you for letting me stay."

Suzaku stared somberly at Euphemia's lifeless body. "Sure, no problem," He said inattentively, too wrapped up in an unofficial wait to pay attention to Cecile. The embalmers did a decent job preserving her corpse. Her motionless chest was the only visual cue that indicated she wasn't merely in a tranquil slumber. Flowers; Emphemia should be holding a bouquet over her chest, and it should be wild flowers from the park in the settlement. It would suit her for all the hard work she did to unite the Japanese and Britannia in peace. She couldn't help but to do so. It was her nature. It was so soothing; watching her hold the orphaned children of fallen war heroes in her loving embrace. She deserved...

"Suzaku!" Cecile tapped him on the shoulder.

"Whu...whu...what!"

"I have to go to the ladies' room."

"Oh? Um...sure."

Cecile stepped out and walked into the restroom. As she was entering a stall, another person followed her in. Being a bit paranoid because of the escalating conflict, Cecile peered over the stall partitioning and caught a glimpse of a man with a hood over his head walking away with his back turned to her. She quickly pulled up her underwear and pulled down her skirt.

"Get out you pervert!" Great, she thought, now she has to deal with voyeurs, or worse, rapists. She did her business as quickly as her body would allow her and was about to run back to Suzaku when she noticed a cell phone with a piece of paper taped to it on the wash basin. The paper had the words "For Cecile Croomy" typed in large, bold print. Then the phone ranged. Cecile hesitantly picked it up. "H...h...Hello?" She stammered.

"Don't say another word, Ms. Croomy. Just listen. I'm Kira." Cecile's heart missed a beat when the distorted voice on the other line. "I know that you were once an employee of the current emperor of Britannia. I have some questions to ask of you and depending on your answer, you may save his life. But if you don't cooperate, he will die. I believe Emperor Asplund was coerced into threatening to retaliate against Japan. I do not wish to kill Asplund, but I will if I am unable to find the real ruler of Britannia..."

"No, you mustn't, please."

"Quiet! I said 'don't speak'. Now listen up. Think of the events prior to Asplund being crowned Emperor: what you saw, what Asplund might have told you, what rumors you may have heard. No matter how minor, tell me."

"Lloyd and I were evacuating Japan when they kidnapped him. They were men in suits, at least three of them. And they had on Lloyd's family crest on their chest but Lloyd didn't recognize them. They took him onboard a private jet and flew away leaving me behind."

"Is that it? I must have more to go on. Think harder."

Cecile reminisced about the events. She recalled the men coming out of the plane, grabbing Lloyd, and pushing her out of the way. Then it dawned on Cecile. "The guard that pushed me out of the way had old stitching in his coat right next to the Asplund family crest. It looked a shield that was flat on top and pointed on the bottom. And it had a crown-shape above the shield. Oh, and the shield was surrounded by a circle." Cecile paused for Kira to respond but there was none on the other end of the line. "Hello? Kira?" There was no reply; only the click of the line disconnecting.

* * *

Light Yagami hid inside a janitor closet as he made his call to Cecile. The cell phone was disconnected from the laptop. The computer window for the voice files made using a speech synthesis program was closed, and the file on members of the Britannian nobility was opened. Light looked at the list for the family crest until he came across the one described by Cecile. "House of Savoy," he whispered. "And if House of Savoy is involved, then that means their matriarch is behind this." Light leered at the file for Penelope Savoy.

* * *

Lloyd was soundly asleep on the king-size bed that once belonged to Charles Britannia when the door slammed open bathing the room with the light from the hallway. Lloyd sat up in bed and ran his hand along the nightstand for his glasses. "What's going on," he said groggily.

One of Penelope's guards stood in the doorway casting a long shadow over Lloyd. "The Archduchess requests an audience with you."

"Request my ass. That woman never asks for anything. She demands it."

"Just come with us please," the guard asked in a polite, but stern tone of voice. Lloyd nodded and began to get dressed. They took a short drive from the palace to an upscale hotel draped in polish glass. Lloyd followed the men into a private elevator reserved for only the finest of nobles and went up to the 50th floor. As he stepped off the elevator, Lloyd was treated to a horror show that bleached his skin whiter than a linen sheet as he laid eyes on the aftermath of the massacre that lay out before him. The leaders of the most influential royal families were sprawled out on the floor. Some of them clinched their shirts just over their chests. But all of them had a piece of paper in their hand and they all read the same thing:

Make peace with Japan or else.

It looked as though they jotted it down just before they died. The majority of the guards ferried the corpses out of the dining hall and into the private elevator. Lloyd wondered how they were going to keep this under wraps when an announcement echoed throughout the hotel.

"For your safety, all guests at the La Cruz Hotel must remain in their rooms until further notice. A Freon leak has been found in the hotel lobby." Is that the best they could do, thought Lloyd? Freon hasn't been used in decades. "The hotel management would like to apologize for any inconvenience this may cause."

The brawny guard led Lloyd down a hallway to the room on the far end and held it open. "The Archduchess is ready to speak to you."

Lloyd stepped in and saw Penelope standing at the balcony. The cerulean moonlight spilled unto the bed where a teenage boy, freckled-face and barely legal, laid in the nude utterly lifeless. The Archduchess herself was bare underneath her see-through nightgown and completely obvious to her indecent state. Lloyd recognized the boy as Earl Hans Reinhardt, Penelope's squire and knight-in-training, though, by the looks of things, more like her boytoy-in-training. The thought of what those two were doing together was nauseating.

"Looks like Kira wasn't the fool you took him for," Lloyd gloated. Not that Reinhartdt's death was that big of a deal to him, but that old cougar made him sick to his stomach. If only Kira killed her instead. "Maybe you're not so smart after all." The Archduchess remained listless despite Lloyd's taunts. "Maybe if you gravel on live television, Kira won't...

The supine Penelope sprung to life and dragged Lloyd by his hair. "I'm the only one left!" She screamed. "There are no more great houses, only worthless, 3rd rate nobles like you!" The irate noblewoman held Lloyd over the edge of the balcony just a few degrees from tipping off the railing. Lloyd wished he didn't glance down the harrowing heights. "I bet you're on cloud nine now, you pathetic empty suit!" Penelope glimpsed back and forth between the landscape underneath them and the bedroom behind her. With a grunt, she pulled Lloyd from the edge. "You're lucky you're still useful to me."

Lloyd gasped for air and clutched his pounding heart. The Archduchess almost gave him a heart attack. "I must have been born with a lucky rabbit's foot in my hand, huh?"

"Guards!" Penelope called out. "Prep the Avalon. We're going to Area Ele...Japan."

* * *

Lloyd rubbed his dreary eyes as he was awoken from his short nap. He yawned while wishing the trip was a little longer. The short jaunt from Pendragon City to Tokyo just wasn't enough time to rest. "Are we over Tokyo?"

"Yes your Majesty," said the guard.

"'Your Majesty'?!? That's the first time I've heard that since I became the sham emperor. Is Lady Penelope ordering you to address me as 'your majesty' for appearance? I'm sure the provisional leaders of Japan know that I'm a nobody."

"She did order us to be more respectful towards you. I hope you're not offended, your majesty."

"Not at all," Lloyd yawned. He followed the guard to Penelope and sat next to her.

"I'm ordering the Avalon to land at your compound. Will it be a problem?" Penelope asked Lloyd as she stalwartly stared out the window.

"No, it won't, but why?"

"I don't trust these savages. They seemed too eager to talk peace, but with Kira breathing down my neck, I have no choice. The flight crew will message the Black Knights telling them we're having engine trouble and have to make an emergency landing. Once I'm certain they're not up to no-good, we can have the peace talks."

* * *

Proving themselves to be professionals, Penelope's guards scrutinized the area for danger. The explosive experts etched out a path with mine detectors from the Avalon to the compound entrance. The counter-sniper team peered through their scoped rifles for signs of sharpshooters in the usual sniping spots like the rooftops. The chief of security gave the signal to hasten the Emperor and Penelope into the compound. The two nobles raced to the entrance with the guards taking the front, rear, and flank. Two guards at the entrance held the door open letting the others inside.

"Are you sure it's safe?" Penelope asked.

"Yes, your highness, the area is secure."

"That's odd?" Lloyd examined two envelopes lying on his desk.

"What?" Penelope asked.

"I don't remember leaving these out." Lloyd flipped it over. It had the words 'For Penelope Savoy' printed on the other side. Lloyd flipped over the other envelope. 'For Lloyd Asplund' was printed on it. "Maybe we should get the guards to look them over."

But Penelope wouldn't. She hastily ripped it open. Her eyes bulged out of her socket. "But I did what you said," she stuttered. Then the Archduchess Penelope Savoy collapsed on the floor and died. The letter she was holding lay beside her. Printed in large bold-faced letters was the word 'DIE'. The guards kneeled over and attended to their fallen mistress. As they made their vain attempt to revive her, Lloyd read the content of his letter and let out an uproarious laugh. "Looks like I'm still just a puppet, only the person pulling the strings has changed."

* * *

Now that Britannia's shadow government met the same fate as its royal family, what will happen next? What instructions did Light give to Emperor Lloyd? What are his plans for his world? And when the hell is Lelouch is going to face off against Light? I mean, seriously, five chapters and not so much as a fowl word passed between the two. Well, the next chapter will have the confrontation you've been waiting for: Zero vs Kira. And we'll find out what happened to V.V.


	6. Chapter 6: Confrontation

Zero vs Kira

By

CrossoverManiac

Death Note is the property of Tsugumi Ohbi. Code Geass is the property of Sunrise. This story is a work of entertainment only.

Chapter 6: Confrontation

It was suppose to be a meeting between Archduchess Penelope Savoy and the Kyōto House, but diplomatic meetings seldom go as planned these days. The Avalon took a detour and landed at the Asplund compound. Fearing a trap by the Britannians, the entrances to the compound were cut off by a squad of Knightmares. Kyoshiro Tohdoh, also commonly known as Tohdoh the Miracle Worker, dismounted his Burai Kai. For someone so stoic, the disgusted look on his face broadcasted, quite openly, the scorn directed at let another act of dishonor from the Britannians. He motioned to some of the Black Knight soldiers to follow him into the compound. They were about to enter when Lloyd stepped out and waved at the Black Knights.

"Emperor Lloyd Aspund, keep your hands up and order everyone out of the building," Tohdoh ordered.

"There's no need for all that," Lloyd said sheepishly. "Our peace envoy is hardly in a position to be a threat."

"Just do as I say."

Lloyd said over his shoulder, "come on out like the man said." The bodyguards piled out of the buildings with their hands up. The Black Knights frisked them for weapons.

"Where's the archduchess? I don't see her."

"I'm afraid she won't be coming out. You have Kira to thank for that. I guess I have no other choice but to continue negotiations in her place." Lloyd sheepishly grinned.

* * *

Lelouch impatiently tapped his fingers on his desk. An hour ago, C.C. escorted him out of the gym under the guise of managing food rations for the students still being held prisoner at Ashford Academy. Lelouch was stressed out having to juggle the role of revolutionary and political prisoner at the same time. Always in the back of his mind was the possibility of students trying to take back the school or a disgruntled Black Knight getting some payback for the occupation, which, in either case, could mean the deaths of his close friends. Just as he was about to call Tohdoh himself, his cellular phone rang.

"Hello, Zero speaking."

"It's Tohdoh, we have a bit of a problem. The Brit noble in charge of the negotiations is dead. She was killed by Kira." A loud thud popped from the receiver causing Tohdoh to flinch.

On the other end, Lelouch clutched the phone tightly in his grip; his hand throbbing from the impact with the oak wood furniture. Lelouch closed his eyes for a second and took a deep breath. "What about the rest of the peace envoy?" Lelouch asked while rubbing the side of his hand that hit the desk.

"They're still alive, including Emperor Asplund, and he wants to be the one to negotiate a peace agreement."

"I suppose it can't be helped," Lelouch huffed. "He's probably the highest ranking noble in Britannia even without being crowned emperor."

"He did make one stipulation."

"And that is?"

"He wants peace talks with all of the Numbers. He won't negotiate with Japan without representatives from the other Britannian territories. He says he's willing to wait on them."

"Put him on the phone."

"Umm...hello Zero," Lloyd reluctantly greeted Lelouch over the phone.

"Welcome to Japan, Emperor Asplund. I apologize for not giving you a more formal welcome but your flight made a last minute change of course. We weren't able to offer a proper greeting."

"That wasn't my idea. It was that woman Penelope Savoy."

"But that won't be a problem anymore, isn't that right?"

"Of course it won't."

"Good, but I have a question: what brought about such a bold political move? Opening negotiation with the Numbers? You probably gave it a lot of thought."

"You see well...umm...," Lloyd stuttered, "it...ummm...seem like the right thing to do."

"Of course doing the right thing is its own reward," Zero said before hanging up.

Damn that Kira! Lelouch couldn't shake the feeling of indignity he felt ever since the day of the Black Rebellion. Zero, the chessmaster, demoted to a pawn-Kira's pawn. And now this! Or was he mad because he was being made obsolete? Was Zero the revolutionary becoming as irrelevant as Lelouch Lamperouge the Britannian high school student? Kira did free Japan from Britannia single-handedly, after all. Was it that fact that really infuriated him?

C.C. just stepped inside. "Your little playmates are getting restless without you."

Lelouch rolled his eyes. He wasn't really in the mood for C.C.'s usual sardonic humor. "I'm almost done," he said while covering up the transceiver. "Emperor Asplund, could you please put Tohdou back on the line?" Perhaps he should be grateful to Kira for doing his work for him? The thought has crossed his mind before.

"Are we expanding the peace talks to the other Numbers?"

"If they have chosen to do so, we'll offer them a place at the negotiation table."

"What about the dead Brit?"

"Take her to the city morgue. She can be shipped back to the homeland with Euphemia and Cornelia." With Kira around, Zero is no longer needed and him and Nunnally can live together in that kind and gentle world he longed to give his sister. Maybe he should step back and let Kira be the hero.

* * *

Four months later

Milly knocked on Lelouch door as she held a folder against her bosom. "Lelouch, I have the paperwork for the emergency expenditures as you asked." To Milly's surprise, she was greeted at the door by Rivalz.

"He's busy doing his homework," Rivalz admonished. "Come back when he's finished."

"Rivalz!" Milly yelled. A shoving match between Rivalz and Milly broke out with the door caught in the middle.

"Quit detracting Lelouch. He won't get his calculus assignment done if you keep bugging him."

"But it's not due till next week!" Milly strained.

"That's no excuse to procrastinate on school work."

"Rivalz, what the hell are you doing?" Lelouch yanked Rivalz out of the way. "I apologize. Yesterday, I told Rivalz he could get on my case if I slacked off in my studies."

"But he's taking it way too...Lulu," Milly glared at Lelouch, "what happened to your eye?" Lelouch's left eye was covered underneath an eye patch.

"Pink eye. The doctor gave me antibiotics for it. It'll clear up in about a week or two." Milly reached over to peel it back and examine Lelouch's eye for herself, but her hand was slapped away.

"Ouch!" Milly said rubbing her hand.

"Don't touch; doctor's orders."

"You two, quick talking and get back to studying." Rivalz scolded them.

Milly growled and shoved Rivalz out the door. "Quit being a pest!" She slammed the door shut and locked it. Rivalz could be heard from outside as he was beating on the door. Milly then handed Lelouch the folder. "The last minute changes to the budget."

"Oh right." Lelouch thumbed through the folder. "Looks like everything is in order," Lelouch said as he signed the papers. "So, how is the outreach program coming along?"

"Terrible, the attendance of Elevens...I'm sorry...Japanese students is even worse than we thought. It's going to be a tough sell to get my fiancé to keep supporting it. The school has been so empty since the Black Rebellion. Most of the Britannian students left. Unfortunately, Rivalz wasn't one of them." Rivalz was still beating on the door to get in.

"Give it time. It'll take awhile to build up the trust of the Japanese." Lelouch tapped Milly on the shoulder. "Don't let it get to you. Come on, you're tougher than that."

"Yeah, you're right." Milly made a fist. "I'll keep fighting for Ashford Academy and Britannian-Japanese relations."

"That's the spirit. Oh, stay here while I sneak out."

"Lulu!"

"I'm hungry and in the mood for sushi, but Rivalz won't let me eat until I'm done with my homework."

"Oh all right," Milly huffed, "I'll cover for you this time."

"Thanks," Lelouch waved back before disappearing from sight.

* * *

Lelouch slipped off school grounds to a waiting armored jeep. Lelouch entered through the back door. "Step on it." In the front seat, on the driver side, was C.C.

"Finally got away from your study buddy, Lelouch," C.C. said snidely.

"Are you sure they're no way in canceling my Geass?"

"If there was, I would have done so already." with a tint of annoyance in her voice. "I had to move out because of him. Besides, it's your own damn fault."

"How was I supposed to know my Geass activated permanently at the exact moment I joked around and asked Rivalz to make sure I study no matter what?"

"You're lucky that was all that happened?"

"You call that 'lucky'? Rivalz is on my case 24/7 because of one off-cuff remark." Lelouch said as he slipped on his Zero costume. "I can't imagine a worse Geass command than that."

* * *

"Ohgi!" Dietard snapped. The report that he worked on all night cluttered the dirty sidewalk. Dietard bent down and hastily gathered them.

Ohgi apologized profusely. "I'm sorry, Dietard." He chased down the papers blown away by the wind.

"What did you do that for?"

"That Sutherland came right out of nowhere." The Sutherland in question was loading rubble into a dump truck.

"Ohgi, you know better than..."

"Yeah, I know, but it takes time getting used to it." Ohgi handed the papers to Dietard and watched the Sutherland finish loading the dump truck and begin loading up another one that just pulled up. "But I do have to admit, it's a godsend having the Britannians turn over their Knightmare Frames to us."

"The Britannian military industrial complex converting their weapons for civilian use to aid in the post-occupation recovery; it's like the Biblical verse about beating swords into plowshares. And we owe it all to Kira."

Ohgi sneered when he heard that name. "Excuse me, but it was the Black Knights that freed Japan, not that Kira spook."

"Be realistic, Ohgi. We'd still be fighting Britannia if it wasn't for his intervention." But Ohgi wouldn't listen to Dietard's logic. "I'm only stating how murky our situation has become. We've been put into a difficult position of whether to support or oppose Kira's latest actions." Dietard felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to face Kallen.

"Zero just made it back."

"It's about time he showed up," Dietard complained.

Kallen led the way back. As they were leaving, Dietard put a pair of earphones on, pulled out his walkman from his pocket, and went back and forth between stations. Two blocks later, the three Black Knights entered Prince Clovis' former royal palace, now the Black Knight's new headquarters. The fortress drowned in the racket of rank-and-file Black Knights busy in their duties. Some of them were assigned to the recovery effort and repairing damage done to the palace during the Black Rebellion. Still other Black Knights were inside coordinating with civilians in the recovery of the rest of Japan. Bits and pieces of discussions over the allocation and distribution of rations to those Japanese still in poverty, repairing broken down utilities, and assisting law enforcement could be heard as Kallen, Dietard, and Ohgi passed by. They found their way to Zero's office in Clovis' former state room where he would hold his ballroom dances. The room no longer had the decadent decorum of the nobility. The walls were now covered with maps, both paper and electronic, displaying troop deployment, food distribution, and other strategic information. Black Knights monitored communications to further coordinate their activities. Zero sat in the head of the room on the elevated portion where Clovis' throne once stood.

"Welcome, sorry to keep you waiting. I was indisposed on a top secret errand." Lelouch made a mental note to either do something about Rivalz or come up with a better story than that. "I hope you have the reports on the Yakuza syndicates running the protection racket in Tokyo. We need to discuss a plan of action to deal with them once and for all."

Dietard's eyes widen from shock. "Zero, you haven't heard."

"Heard what?"

"The Yakuza crime syndicates have been broken up, all of them. Most of their members were killed by Kira."

"Kira's active again," Zero shot up out of his chair.

"And it wasn't just Yakuza in Japan? The Italian Mafia, the Britannian New York and Chicago crime syndicates, and a few others in the other former Numbers were decimated. Also, felons in Britannia and all of the former territories convicted of murder died from heart attacks as well. And as I was walking back to HQ, I tuned into my walkman and heard on the local radio station that all the suspects in a child pornography ring died from heart attacks."

"Why didn't you tell me this sooner?" Zero yelled.

"We tried, but you couldn't be reached," Dietard said defensively.

"I apologize. I was the one at fault." Yeah, Lelouch thought, I'm going to have to do something about Rivalz.

"How long has this been going on?"

"Since day before yesterday, though it was so out of the blue, no one had a clue what was going on until last night. Zero, we have to give a response to this and with Kira's support amongst the citizens rivaling your own, we'll have to tread carefully."

"What's there to be careful about? The Black Knights should stand up to this bastard."

"Your personal feelings are clouding your judgment. You've had it in for Kira since he showed up."

"Are you saying we should go along with this?"

"And why not!" Kallen asked rhetorically. "You want to be the ones defending murderers and child molesters."

"No of course not," Ohgi said defensively, "that's not what I'm talking about."

"See what I mean when I said 'tread carefully'. We can't either come off as endorsing Kira's actions or defending criminals." Dietard turned towards Zero. "Zero, you agree with me, right?"

"I'll need a few days to think things through." Deep down inside, Lelouch lamented to himself that he could not fade out of the picture even though he had warmed up to the idea. Had it played out the way he wanted it, he could have lived in peace with his sister Nunnally and his best friend Suzaku.

"Of course, we shouldn't come off as impulsive with some sort of spontaneous, knee-jerk reaction."

Ohgi huffed. "Don't you care about the morality of the situation, Dietard?"

"I do," Ohgi rolled his eyes in disbelief of Dietard's claim, "but we have to consider the bigger picture."

Kallen waited for the others to walk off in order to speak to Zero in private. "I don't know about you, but I think Kira killing criminals is a good thing. It's no different than what the Black Knights did."

"What did you say, Kallen?"

"I said it's no different than what we do."

"That's what I thought. Thank you. I see clearly now what must be done."

* * *

Two weeks later

A general meeting was taking place in the underground garage beneath the Black Knight headquarters. Gathered in the front were the officers of the Black Knights: Ohgi, Tamaki, Kallen, Dietard, Kyoshiro Tohdoh, and the Four Holy Swords, Senba Ryoga, Urabe Kosetsu, Chiba Nagisa, and Asahina Shogo. There has been much apprehension amongst the Black Knights since Kira became active again. Zero waited on the side for some of the Black Knights to set up a projector. When they finished, he stood in front of the crowd.

"Dietard, explain to us your findings." Zero motioned to Dietard to come up to the front.

Dietard stood beside the projector facing the audience. "The killings took place on the same day the Britannians made the IFR public." A world map materialized on the projector screen. The parts of globe highlighted in red were identical to the land held by the Britannian Empire at the height of its power. Black dots littered the map with the vast majority of them resigning in the areas highlighted with a few dots scattered elsewhere. "IFR stands for the International Felony Registry. It's a database consisting of those convicted of a felony. This was part of the treaty between Britannia and its former territories, Japan included. We didn't think anything of it because the treaty exempted resistance fighters whose only crime was fighting Britannia from being put on the registry and the registry was supposedly only for use by the law enforcement community. However, two weeks ago, the registry was opened to the public without consent of the other nations who signed the treaty. We know Kira is picking individuals from the registry since almost all of the victims were in it. The exceptions to this are from high profile cases that made international news which explains the few victims from inside the EU and Chinese Federation. We estimated Kira has killed 20,000 criminals, with an average of 1400 per day. There is no pattern. They die around the clock every minute during a 24-hour day. Kira's range of victims is very broad: murderers, members of organized crime, armed robbers, drug dealers, rapists, child molesters, and even a few who committed white collar crimes. Kira has no particular strategy or plan except, from what I can gather, to pass judgment on criminals."

Zero then took the stage. "My Black Knight, since Kira resurfaced, no since Kira first appeared, there has been much discussion amongst you. Many of you have urged me to support Kira. Some have even suggested making a formal alliance with him." Tamaki grinned when Zero mentioned this. "While a few have gone the other way, even considering Kira to be a threat. Even I didn't know what to make of Kira, until Kallen said something that struck a chord with me, though she might not like the conclusion I came to." This caught Kallen by surprise. "Let me ask you this: what is the difference between Kira and the Black Knights? Tohdoh, what is your opinion on this? Are Kira and the Black Knights merely two sides of the same coin?"

Tohdoh shook his head, "I completely disagree. Kira's actions are deplorable. We Japanese have set up a system to judge our own as has the other nations. Kira has no right to take that from us."

"Big deal," Tamaki said dismissively. "We did the same."

"There's a difference Tamaki," Tohdoh retorted. "We were fighting to bring back Japan's self-rule. There was no justice under the Britannian Empire. Kira is trying to usurp this system with his own."

Zero said, "I have always taught you only those willing to be killed should be allowed to kill. As we bared our bodies to the enemy, Kira laid low and struck from his hiding place. It is such people that are the most ruthless and dishonorable, the very thing the Black Knights stand against, for they are the most willing to shed blood. Most of all, I bring forth this proposition: we have yet to liberate Japan. Japan is no freer now than it was before the Black Rebellion." There was a brief commotion among the Black Knights. Zero waited for it to die down before continuing. "The only difference is that Japan has switched tyrants: from Britannia to Kira. As we speak, Kira is deciding who will live and who will die in *his* Japan." Ohgi raised his hand. "Yes, Ohgi, you have a question?"

"Is there any way of tracking Kira?" Ohgi asked.

Dietard shook his head. "The Britannians has put in place a privacy program that keeps third parties from tracing IP addresses. We have had limited success in cracking it, but the site security is continuously updated so our access doesn't last very long. This action strongly hints that the Britannians are acting on Kira's behalf and even to the possibility that Kira was in contact with the Emperor prior to the peace talks. But even without privacy precautions, it would be difficult to track Kira. The IFR database was accessed a quarter of a million times in the last week from the Tokyo metropolitan area alone. The Black Knights don't have the manpower to sequester that many users."

Suddenly, a noised echoed through the underground garage. It came from Kallen who stomped on the concrete surface as hard as she could. "What is your problem, Zero? Why are you talking about stopping Kira? Is it true what they say about you; that you're jealous; that you can't stand sharing the spotlight?" She turns to the rest of the Black Knight and pleaded. "Don't you remember what he did for us during the Black Rebellion?"

"I take it you support Kira, Kallen Kozuki?"

"You're damn right I do. Why should we give a damn about those people? I hope Kira kills more of them."

"Do you really mean that, Kallen?"

"Of course I d..." Kallen turned as white as a ghost. On the projector was a picture of her mother with her information beside it. "No," she shook her head profusely. "Why is she?"

Zero read off the profile. "'Mizuki Kozuki, convicted of possession and use of a controlled substance, sentenced to twenty years.' All of this courtesy of the IFR."

"But the pardons..."

"...were only for resistance fighters like us."

"She's isn't one of them. She's just a weak woman..." Kallen fell to her knees and in a daze.

"That's not for either of us to decide. That judgment is to be made by Kira."

"That's going too far, Zero," Ohgi objected.

Tamaki jumped to Kallen's defense as well. "Quick playing mind games with Kozuki. Are you doing this just to be sadistic?"

"He's isn't. Zero's making a valid point," said Tohdoh. "As long as Kira's around, everyone is subjected to his judgment regardless of what we think."

"Kallen, do you still put your faith in Kira, even if your mother's life hangs in the balance? What if Kira decides Mizuki Kozuki has no place in his world?"

"Stop it! Stop it please!" Kallen broke down in tears. "You made your point."

"Then join me, Kallen," Zero said extending his hand to the distraught young girl, "in defeating Kira. Let us, together, create a gentle world where your mother would be welcomed with open arms." Zero helped Kallen off the floor and then finished addressing the Black Knights. "I'm no fool. I know opposing Kira would inadvertently make the Black Knights the defenders of criminals. But I much rather that than a world where life has so little value that it can be brought to an end on the whim of one solitary man. How many of you are willing to let Kira judge you and the ones you love? If you feel the same, then join me in defeating Kira. For that, I will need all the help I can get."

"And just how are we supposed to do that?" Dietard questioned Zero. "His methods may seem cowardly to you, but they are effective. Kira may just be the most dangerous foe we've ever faced."

"We'll have to draw him out in the open, and for that, we're going to have to get in his face."

Asahina Shogo laughed. "Getting in the face of a faceless opponent; you are tenacious, Zero," he said to himself.

* * *

Nori Osamu, a pudgy middle-aged man with what looked like a compressed face thanks to his undersized spectacles, cleared his throat before addressing his staff of temporary help. "I hate to be the bearers of bad news, but someone up there hates us. Apparently, the 'geniuses' at the Hinohara branch were slacking off on the job and now we have to pull overtime." Groans sounded all over the office. A plump and short teenager sloppily dressed in a T-shirt, partly sticking out of his khakis, raised his hand. "No," said Nori. "I'm not making exception."

"But I'm hungry," the young man protested.

"I said 'no exceptions'. That's the last I'll hear of it! Now get back to work!"

The teenager walked out of the meeting room and all the way in the back hall. He angrily slammed the door behind him. "Nori Osamu, more like Nori Oni." He rubbed his growling stomach regretting that he skipped lunch today to stare at the pretty co-workers. He started on a stack of birth certificates when one of his co-workers tapped him on the shoulder.

"Tarou, don't worry about the boss. If you want to sneak off to get a snack, I'll cover for you."

"You'll do that for me?"

"Just don't take too long. You wouldn't want Osamu catching you."

"Of course not." Tarou ran for the door, but before exiting, he looked over his shoulder. "Light Yagami, you're the best roommate a guy could have."

As Tarou left, Light grinned smugly. He picked up a handful of documents and set them to the side. Light then pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket and was about to put it on the top of the pile when Ryuk snatched it away from him.

"What's this?" Ryuk said as he read the paper.

"Ryuk, quit playing around!" Light reached out to grab back his paper but Ryuk's height and arm length kept it just out of Light's reach.

"This looks interesting. 'Light Yagami, born 14th day of March 2000," Ryuk read off the paper, "mother-Himeji Yagami; father-unknown', what are you up to, Light?" Ryuk asked as he handed back the paper to Light whom angrily yanked it away from Ryuk.

"I suppose I owe you an explanation," Light sighed. "It is human nature to know as much about a person as possible. So, in order to not draw attention to myself, I've created a false identity. I was lucky to find out about Shoutaro Yagami. From my research, Shoutaro's mother is a single parent disowned by her family for having a child out of wedlock. According to records, both she and Shoutaro disappeared shortly after the Britannian invasion. Undoubtedly both of them died, but there were no bodies recovered so it's possible for Shoutaro," Light said pointing to himself, " or should I say Light, to show up years later still alive. And because Himeji broke off relations with her family, I don't have to worry about them revealing that I'm not her biological child. I was lucky to find an identity with so few connections and the same surname as myself. All I had to do is to replace Shoutaro's birth certificate with one I forged myself that is identical in every way with exception to our names."

"One flaw in your plan: what happens if they find records with Shoutaro's name on it and not yours?"

"What do you think I've been doing these last four months? I've traced every moment of Shoutaro's life and made sure to erase all trace of his existence and replace it with my own."

Ryuk chuckled. "You really are shameless, Light. You don't just kill people anymore; you retroactively erase them from existence."

"I do what it takes to survive. I hear Tarou coming back. We'll finish this later." Light turned away from Ryuk as Tarou barged in carrying snacks in hand. Light looked disdainfully at the plump young man. "Why did you bring those here?"

"I felt bad getting food and leaving you to starve," mumbled Tarou with a mouthful.

"You're going to get us both in trouble. Hide those so that Osamu doesn't see them." Light piled them in a draw and on the far corner of the room. "I appreciate the thought, but I wasn't hungry, and I don't want to lose this job. Understood?"

Tahou slumped his head down in shame. "Sorry, Light," he apologized. Then his eyes opened wide in a sudden burst of realization. "Ooh ooh, Light, I just remembered. I was talking to my friend Jake on the way back. He's a Brit, but he's cool. Well, anyway, he told me Zero is going to make a big announcement on television tomorrow night and that Zero wants Kira to watch."

Light stopped in his tracks. "Zero, you mean the leader of the resistance moment?"

"Yeah, that Zero. Have you been living under a rock? He's a national hero. Sometimes, you act like you've been living in another world or something." Ryuk chuckled at the irony of Tahou's statement. "The Black Knights were dropping pamphlets all over Tokyo. They must really want to get Kira's attention."

"It seems that way." Tahou was a simpleton, but he had a point. This 'Zero' person is desperate to get Kira's attention. And Light wanted to know why.

* * *

Ryuk pointed to the picture of Zero on the computer screen. "Is that snappy dresser, Zero?" Ryuk asked Light.

Light nodded. "It is, and he's the leader of the terrorist organization called the Black Knights."

"So, is he friend or foe?"

"I don't know about him being a foe, but I wouldn't want him for an ally."

"Why's that?"

"I've done my research on this Zero person, and he's nothing but an attention-seeking clown who's big on theatrics. I find it hard to believe that the Japanese of this world was so desperate they chose Zero to be their secular messiah. He even dresses like a kiddie show supervillain. How could anyone take him seriously?"

"That's the exact opposite of you, Light. You were always about keeping a low profile."

Just then, Light's watch beeped. "It's time." Light switched on his television set. True to his word, Zero was on Hi-TV.

"People of Japan, for the last four months, I have been silent on the matter of Kira. I didn't know what to make of him except that he played a major role in freeing Japan. For that I was grateful to him. Kira, I hope you're listening to this broadcast. I had high hopes for you, but that has been shattered by your recent actions."

"Uh oh," said Ryuk, "I think that answers my question on whether he's a friend or foe."

"Kira, by what right do you have to stand in judgment over the people you've murdered; to be their judge, jury, and executioner?" Light glared hatefully at the image of Zero on his television. "The world you are creating is stagnant, sterile, devoid of the life that can only exist when people are truly free. Those you rule over are forced into a living death; reduce to being corpses going through the motions of living. And that is the difference between us: I fight to free the world from tyranny, but you merely substitute the tyranny of the Britannian Empire with your own."

Light shot up out of his chair. "Just who the hell do you think you are standing in judgment of me? You'd still be under Britannian rule if I didn't intervene!"

"If you don't like what I've said, Kira, kill me," Zero said slapping his chest with both hands. "Strike me dead like you did to the Britannian royal family, to the occupation forces, to criminals. Go ahead. What are you waiting for? Oh I know, you're waiting for me to take off my mask and reveal my real name to you."

Ryuk laughed uproariously as Light's eyes nearly bulged out of its sockets. "He figured out how the Death Note works, just like L."

"That's how you kill isn't it? You need the identity of the target. You can't kill me so long as I'm masked and my identity is a secret; nor can you harm my Black Knights. I don't care if the world hates me or think I'm acting out of jealousy. I will put a stop to your killing. Kira, I'll give you two minutes to flip through the other TV channels. Also, check on your internet connection and radio stations as well."

Light changed the channel but was unable to pick up anything else. "No, he couldn't have," Light said in disbelief. He then switched the portable TV into radio mode and turned the dial, but there were no stations on the air, only static. After turning the station back to Hi-TV, Light clicked the network icon on his computer's task bar. A window popped up informing Light that there was no connection. "I can't believe it!" Light balled his fist so tightly; his hand turned a darker shade of red.

"Here me out Kira. I, Zero, order a media blackout for all of Tokyo. I will put a stop to your reign of terror one way or another. But I'm not stopping there. I will track you down and bring you to justice. Farewell, Kira." Zero snapped his finger. Instantly, Hi-TV went off the air leaving only a snowy screen.

"DAMMIT!" Light screamed. He throws his portable TV hard enough to smash into pieces against the wall.

Ryuk flinched in surprise over Light's rage. "It looks like you're fighting L all over again."

"It's worse than that. L never had his own personnel army."

"You can at least kill criminals around here. I'm sure some will come up."

"And give away my location and identity? I might as well put up a sign saying 'Light Yagami is Kira'!" Light shook his head. "No, I'm not losing to Zero. I'll find his identity and I'll be the one to bring justice to him. In fact," Light cracked open the Death Note, "I'll give him a sample of what I have in store for him..."

* * *

Bismarck Waldstein relentlessly kicked V.V. who was bloodied and bruised from the ordeal. Anya/Marianne stood on the side holding a blood-soaked rag against her right shoulder with her left hand.

"Oh V.V., why did you try to escape? Look how upset you made Bismarck." Anya/Marianne smiled at Bismarck. "I think he's had enough." She bent over V.V. "You're going to behave yourself, right V.V."

"Bismarck," V.V. said looking at the Knight of One, "is Lelouch really the Emperor's son or did you hop in the sack with Marianne and got her preg..."

Bismarck yanked V.V. off the floor and started beating his face in. "You bastard! How dare you besmirch Lady Marianne's good name!"

"Don't take him so seriously, Bismarck. V.V. is just being V.V."

"I want to speak with my little brother. Take me to the thought elevator, now!"

"You already spoke with him," Anya/Marianne spoke sternly. "He said for you to lay low until Kira is out of the picture. We don't know the extent of his powers. Kira may even be able to kill someone with a Code. We won't risk losing our chance at starting Ragnorok."

"Lady Marianne," said Bismarck, "remember what we spoke about earlier."

Anya/Marianne huffed. "I suppose we don't have a choice. V.V. just won't cooperate. Get the shovel and quick drying cement."

"You wouldn't!" V.V. yelled.

"Oh but we are. Charles said to keep you under wraps, but he didn't say how." A few hours later, V.V. was buried six feet under inside a tomb of cement.

* * *

It took six chapters, but finally, Lelouch has challenged Light's rule, and Light is all too happy to accept. Which Black Knights will Light kill? Find out in the next chapter of _Zero vs. Kira_.


	7. Chapter 7: Retaliation

Zero vs. Kira

By

CrossoverManiac

Death Note is the property of Tsugumi Ohbi. Code Geass is the property of Sunrise. This story is a work of entertainment only.

* * *

Chapter 7: Retaliation

When the transmission ended, Lelouch took his cell phone out of his pocket and stared. Ohgi, Kallen, and Tamaki each looked the other two and silently asked for a reason for their leader's odd behavior. Kallen built up enough guts to break the ice.

"Zero, what's..."

"Not now!" Lelouch said in a sharp tone. A moment later, the cell phone vibrated in his hand. "Zero here...as I feared...make sure to treat their bodies with the utmost respect."

"Did Kira retaliate?" Ohgi asked.

Lelouch nodded. "Tohdoh and the Four Holy Swords."

"You knew this would happen?" Ohgi said.

"Their identities were public knowledge."

Tamaki yelled. "I hate being right. Why did you have to go and piss off Kira?"

"Zero already made that clear," Kallen said defensively, "We can't let Kira be judge, jury, and executioner."

"You're only saying that because your mother's on that registry."

"I...i...it was like that first," Kallen stammered, "but having someone I love on the receiving end of Kira's judgment made me realize that even the guilty..."

"Oh come on Kozuki, you're not fooling me. Besides, if Zero wanted, he could have pulled some strings and gotten her name removed."

"The registry is in Britannia," said Lelouch. "How was I supposed to do that, Tamaki? Ask the emperor nicely; the very emperor who's, more than likely, acting under orders from Kira?"

"Be reasonable," Tamaki said as his arms gesticulated back and forth, "we should be happy Kira's killing off the scum. Hell, the only thing he's doing wrong is killing for the Brits too."

"Oh so my mother's scum now," Kallen stared Tamaki down and, with only the ferocity in her eyes, dared him to speak ill of her mother.

Tamaki backed away. "Oh come on, Kōzuki. I wasn't including her."

"Tamaki," said Lelouch sternly, "I've made my decision. There will be no more discussion about allying ourselves with Kira. Understood?"

Tamaki threw his hands up in frustration. "Do whatever you want. Just don't come crying to me about it when it bites you on the ass."

"Diethard," Lelouch spoke into his cell phone, "contact Rakshata and tell her to give a second look at that machine at the 731th Armory. It's the closest thing we have to physical evidence against Kira."

"I'm afraid that won't be possible," said Diethard, "I had a phone call from HQ informing me that Rakshata is dead. Apparently, her ego got the best of her, and she disclosed her involvement with the Black Knights to the press."

"Oh, I hate being right," Tamaki moaned.

"I'll see about getting a replacement for her."

"That's a tall order," said Diethard. "She was one of the world's most brilliant scientists. The only person I could think of who could hold a candle to her sits on Britannia's throne."

"I have someone in mind, if I can talk her into it."

"Oh one more thing: Some papers were found in Tohdoh's hands. It looks like some sort of informal wills. They knew they were going to die."

"I'll take care of any final requests they made. Get busy with modifying HQ with non-lethals."

"Non-lethals?" Ohgi asked?

Lelouch abruptly turned to Ohgi. "I told you that we may be the villains. Don't be surprised if the people turn against us."

This made Ohgi's eyes bulge out. "You think it'll come to that."

"Let's not underestimate what Kira has done for Japan or his support. Diethard, get in touch with Kyoto House. Their support for the media blackout will be vital...Diethard...Diethard." Lelouch waited for a reply from the other end of the line.

"Hello?" The voice of the end asked. It wasn't Diethard but instead, a woman's voice.

"What happened to Diethard?"

"He collapsed. We're performing CPR on him."

"Don't bother. There's nothing more you can do for him." The cell phone was on the verge of cracking under Lelouch's tightening grip.

* * *

Tarou stared out the window watching the skyscrapers moving along the gloomy background of murky gray clouds. The window fogged up as Tarou exhaled. He traced kanji on the precipitate with his finger. In his other hand was a large orange envelope.

"Damn, why did Light send me across town at the last minute to pick a package?" Tarou slumped his shoulders and sighed. "Man, my life can't possibly be worse." But then, two shady figures boarded the bullet train. Both of them were Britannians. One was blonde wearing a red button-up shirt with a dark gray undershirt. The shirt and undershirt was tight-fitting enough that it didn't hide his muscular physique. The other had a black mullet and was wearing a blue button-up shirt and red undershirt, which also a tight-fit around the black-haired Britannian's well-developed upper body. Tarou averted his gaze from the two hoping they didn't notice him. Unfortunately, this wasn't his lucky day.

"Long time no see, fatty?" The blonde one smirked. He marched towards Tarou.

Tarou remembered them all too well. They were at the records office asking for work. When the manager told them that there were no positions available, these two accused the manager of being a racist and denying them work because they were Britannians. "Umm...umm...it's not my fault the manager wouldn't hire you," Tarou stuttered. The blonde Britannian shoved Tarou over and pressed him against the window.

"Can you believe this fat Eleven?" The blonde said to his black-haired friend who was facing towards them with his knees in the seat. "My old man lost his job, and this fat Eleven is working."

"We're not Elevens, we're Japa..." The black-haired Britannian punched Tarou in the jaw. The blow propelled Tarou's head into the window cracking it.

"Who do you think you're mouthing off to, you fat Eleven?"

"Hey Ray," the blonde one said, "maybe he's not an Eleven; maybe he's a pig." Both of the Britannians laughed at Tarou.

"Leave him alone!" Both Britannians looked over their shoulder to a Japanese teenager. He was wiry in statute, with short brown hair and was carrying a duffle bag over his shoulder.

"Oh is he your boyfriend," the blonde chuckled. "We'll get back to you in a minute," the blonde said to Tarou.

"Yeah, don't run off, fat ass," the black-haired Britannian warned, "you'll get an even worse beating if you make us hunt you down."

"Well come on, Eleven," the blonde gestured to the Japanese teenager, "show us what you got." The blonde Brit lunged at the Japanese teenager who did a backwards flip and kicked the blonde in the chin. The Britannian fell and landed on his back. The black-haired Britannian charged the interloper. The Japanese teenager, in one fluid motion, took hold of his collar, fell back, and directed the Britannian's momentum. He landed on his back. The two Britannians picked themselves up.

"Rush the bastard," the black-haired Britannian yelled. "He can't take us both at the same time." Once again, the Britannian teenagers charged, one on each side of the Japanese teenager. The blonde Britannian threw a punch, but the Japanese teenager caught the blow in the palm of his hand. The black-haired Britannian threw a punch, and the Japanese teenager caught his fist as well. The Japanese yanked on their arm, pulled them towards each other, and smashed their faces together. As their neck whipped back from the recoil, the Japanese teenager caught the back of their heads and then smashed their heads together a second time.

The two Britannians held their bloody noses and fled out of the car. The Japanese teenager stood over Tarou and performed a visual examination. "Don't move. You might have a concussion."

"Oh I'm okay," Tarou said with a reassuring smile on his face.

"Just to be sure, let me accompany you." Then the Japanese teenager asked Tarou, "do you know why those two were attacking you?" Just then, the bullet train jolted hard enough to cause the teenager to lose his balance and fall into Tarou. "I'm sorry."

Tarou shook his head. "Don't be. You saved me from those thugs. They were mad because my manager wouldn't hire them." Tarou extended a hand to the teenager. "I'm Tarou. What's your name?"

"It's Kururugi; Kururugi Suzaku."

"Well, thanks for saving my butt Suzaku. Hey, are you a black belt or something?"

"Sorta." Suzaku then peered into the passenger car over.

"Is there something wrong, Suzaku?"

"I'm just wondering what happened to your attackers."

Unbeknown to them, when the bullet train wrenched, the two Britannians that attacked Tarou were crossing between cars. The jolt caused them to lose their footing. The safety lines between the cars just happen to break at that moment. They fell from the elevated train to the street below.

* * *

Lelouch's prediction that they would lose their support among the people was proven true. Ohgi was returning from a trip to Osaka when he saw the acts of vandalism afflicted on their headquarters. "HAIL KIRA" and "DEATH TO ZERO" was spray-painted on the entrance into the compound. Ohgi drove though the gate and parked to the side. Burn marks spotted the lawn. Broken glass was scattered over the scorched grass. The air was fowl with the odor of burned alcohol. At least one person showed his disapproval of the Black Knights with a Molotov cocktail. Then he noticed some Black Knights handcuffing a young Japanese boy just outside of the gate. The bleach-blonde punk couldn't be any older no older than 17.

Ohgi hastened across the compound as fast as he could to the gate on the opposite end. He charged the teenager and punched him in the jaw. The punch was enough to knock the bleach-blonde teenager off his feet.

"You little punk!" Ohgi could scarcely be restrained by the other Black Knights. "After all the Black Knights done for Japan and this is how you repay us! Well? What do you have to say for yourself? Threaten Zero, will ya?"

"Sir," said a female Black Knight, "he wasn't the one who did that." She pointed to a black car with the Black Knight insignia on it. Another Japanese teenager sat in the back of the patrol car. The spiky hair kid turned his back to them and bent over revealing the handcuffs around his wrists. He shot the bird at Ohgi and the others.

"Why did you cuff him?" Ohgi asked.

"He attacked the one in the car, sir."

Ohgi, realizing what he had, helped the young man on his feet. "I am terribly sorry about that. I had no idea that..."

"It's okay," the bleach-blonde teenager said. "It was an honest mistake."

"Give me the keys," Ohgi ordered.

"But sir, we have to take them both in..."

"Just hand them over."

"What if he assaults someone else?"

"You promise to behave yourself?" Ohgi asked the teenager.

"I swear on my grandmother's grave."

The female Black Knight reluctantly handed Ohgi the keys. As Ohgi was undoing the cuffs, the teenager spoke up. "Would this be a mark against me becoming a Black Knight?"

"Picking fights isn't the best way to make a first impression, but it's nothing serious."

"I'm Okouchi Goroh," the young man shook Ohgi's hand. "Is it okay if I sign up today?"

"I don't know about today," Ohgi said sheepishly. It was awkward for him to have a friendly chat with someone who he punched a minute ago for something he didn't even do. "But if you give me your contact information, I can see if arrangements can be made."

Goroh's face lit up. "Sure thing," he said. The female Black Knight offered Goroh a pin and a piece of paper to write on.

* * *

Okouchi Goroh was on his way to the third floor apartments. He was covered in dirt, from his button-up work shirt to blue jeans and all the way down to the pair of leather steel-toed boots. Around his waist was a carpenter's belt lined with the tools of the trade: hammer, screwdriver, chalk liner, carpenter's pencil. Goroh ducked into one of the rundown apartments.

"Dad, guess what." He said jovially. "I earned enough money to fix up the..." It was then Goroh caught sight of a familiar face. The person was the very Black Knight that kept him out of jail, Ohgi. He was speaking to a middle-aged man with gray, thinning hair. The older man was thin and wore clothes a size too big for him. The most noticeable feature was that he was missing his right arm. It was amputated halfway between the elbow and shoulder.

"What's this I hear about you picking fights?" The middle aged man ran across the room and got into Goroh's face. The older gentlemen had an intimidating scowl. "This man said you got in a fight right in front of the Black Knights' headquarters. It's a miracle you're not wasting away in some prison."

Ohgi stepped between the two. "Please, Mr. Okouchi, you're taking it the wrong way. That young man stopped some thug from throwing firebombs at our base. He's a hero as far as I'm concern."

"'A hero' you say?" Mr. Okouchi repeated.

The Black Knight nodded. "I came over to interview your son. When I told you what happened, I didn't mean to come off as critical. Interviewing new recruits is Tamaki's job," said Ohgi, "so I'm not very good at it."

"Still, he shouldn't keep secrets from me, especially ones that almost land him in jail," Mr. Okouchi pouted.

"Dad!" Goroh whined.

"Not to say I'm completely disappointed in him. I appreciate the sacrifices you Black Knights have made for Japan, and I'm glad my son could be of some help to you."

"So, Dad, you won't mind if I join the Black Knights. I mean, we don't have to tell Mom, right?"

"My ex-wife wouldn't allow him to get involved in the fighting. She kept him at Kyoto. My son was not permitted to visit me in Shinjuku until after the Black Rebellion. The only problem I have with my son becoming a Black Knight is that he's a slacker and would only get in your way."

"Hey, I work for a living now."

"Only recently, you used to steal for a living."

Goroh looked away from his father. "That was a long time ago."

Mr. Okouch rolled his eyes. "Last year was *not* a long time ago."

Goroh threw up his hands. "You won't let me forget, will you? I can't take this anymore." Goroh stomped out the apartment. He ran down the stairs and was at the ground floor when Ohgi caught up with him.

"Wait up, Goroh?" Ohgi panted.

"You heard the old man: I'm a good-for-nothing."

Ohgi inhaled deeply trying to catch his breath. "That's not true."

"Weren't you listening to him badmouthing me?"

"I heard," Ohgi smiled, "and it's nothing out of the ordinary. My old man was the same way. The ones closest to us are usually the ones that are the most critical. It's in parents' nature to push their kids. They can't help it because they want the best for them."

Goroh stared down at the ground. "Well, mine takes it too far. It's like I can never do anything right, no matter how much I try to make up for the past."

"Look, come back with me, and we'll sit down and talk things over."

"I don't know."

"It wouldn't hurt. If it doesn't help, then you can run off like you're doing now. But if it does, you two will be better off for it. Besides, you don't want him telling your mother why you had a fight." Ohgi winked at Goroh.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt," said Goroh.

"By the way," Ohgi asked, "mind me asking what you do for a living?"

"Construction," said Goroh. "We're just finishing some renovations at the records office."

The two went back up to the third floor apartment.

* * *

Ohgi busted through the double doors in the middle of a meeting between Lelouch, C.C., Kallen, and the other original members of the Black Knights. The room was designated as the office for the Kira Task Force. Printouts on Kira and maps with red thumbtacks sticking out of them were plastered on the wall.

"Sorry I was late," Ohgi apologized as he bowed repeatedly to the group.

"You're the Deputy Commander of The Black Knights," Lelouch said calmly but sternly. "I'll let it slide this time, but don't make a habit of it."

"Right, I won't let it happen again."

"Don't tell me we have to start the meeting over for Ohgi?" Minami complained.

"I'll give him a quick summary. It won't take long." Lelouch handed Ohgi a newspaper.

Ohgi opened it and said in an excited voice. "I remember this-it's the Voice of the Rising Sun."

"The underground newspaper started during the occupation."

"This brings back memori..." Ohgi frowned upon reading the front page story. He shot up out of his chair and slammed the paper on the table. "After everything we did for Japan, and the Voice of the Rising Sun is calling us 'the new occupation'?"

"The group running the Voice of the Rising Sun has sided with Kira. They've condemned the Black Knights for standing in Kira's way."

"We're the ones who bled for Japan." Ohgi threw down the paper. "All they had to deal with was ink stains on their cheap rag."

"It's worse than that." Kallen said. "They're posting the names of criminals. There must be informants in the Japanese penal system. It's not as bad as when Kira had access to the Britannian criminal database, but he's still passing judgments on the Japanese."

"Oh yeah, such a shame that he killed those guys running the child prostitution ring," said Tamaki.

Kallen marched up to Tamaki. "And what about that innocent man he killed?" Tamaki averted his eyes away from Kallen. "He was accused of rape, but it turned out it was someone else."

"Well...I don't see the problem. Kira killed the right guy after..."

"And what about that innocent man? Well?"

"Everyone makes mistakes."

"Kallen, don't waste your time on Tamaki." Kallen heeded Lelouch's command and went back to her desk.

"Whadda mean don't waste your time on me?" Tamaki objected. However, no one paid him any mind.

"Starting where I left off, the Voice of the Rising Sun has sided with Kira. But we can use this to our advantage. I've uncovered their true identities."

"So, we can stop them from publishing names, right?" Ohgi asked.

"Not quite. I'll convince them to side with us. We'll use them to pinpoint Kira's location. The Voice of the Rising Sun will continue to post the names of criminals. However, next Wednesday, the paper will make twenty-three different prints that will be distributed within each of Tokyo's twenty-three special wards. Each printing will have one criminal unique to that ward. We lack the manpower to do a thorough search of all of Tokyo, but we have more than enough to search a single ward.

"We're letting Kira judge more people?" Kallen said with a betrayed tone in her voice. "You said we wouldn't allow Kira to pass judgment on the Japanese."

"Back when we were fighting Britannia, I warned you innocent people will be caught in the crossfire. I know it's hypocritical of me to sacrifice these criminals to stop a vigilante, but we have no other choice. The Black Knights can't keep up the media blackout forever. Sooner or later, it will have to end. Either way, these criminals will die, but if my plan works, Kira's reign will come to an end. Their sacrifice will not be in vain."

"I understand, sir," Kallen sighed.

* * *

Nina Einstein stared listlessly at the pile of tangled wires lying on the table while laying her head down on the table and her arms folded underneath. Under the layer of wires was a collection of tiny mechanical limbs, servos, and gears piled up and looking more like a miniature junkyard than a school project. The 'Introduction to Robotics' teacher gave her an assignment in the hopes of snapping her out of the depression that Nina fell into after the Black Rebellion. She held her head up and poked at the parts. A tiny motor caught her eye. Nina dug it out of the heap and examined it. It was the right size to be the servo for a motorized robot arm or for a hip joint. As Nina foraged though the mound, thoughts of Princess Euphemia, her princess, flooded her mind. Nina tossed the robot motor back on the table.

"Nina Einstein, I presume." Nina recognized that infamous electronically distorted voice. She shot up out her chair knocking it over.

"Zero, what are you doing here?" Nina said apprehensively.

"I am in need of your services, Miss Einstein."

Nina glared suspiciously at Zero. "Me? What use could I be to you?"

"I am unable to divulge that information, not until I know that you are fully committed."

"I can't commit to a task that I know nothing about. And why should I trust you anyway?"

"So the answer is 'no'?"

"You're Zero, the enemy of Britannia. I want nothing to do with you."

"That is a shame. From what I heard, I thought you would jump at the opportunity to avenge Princess Euphemia's death." As Zero was turning around to leave, Nina ran around the table and took hold of Zero by the wrist.

"Say that again," Nina said in stern voice. Those eyes held a gaze that Lelouch only witnessed during battle in the eyes of his Black Knight and their Britannian foes. Though Lelouch knew that Nina was enthralled to Euphemia, he never imagined that timid little Nina could harbor such bloodlust. Lelouch cracked a smile from behind his mask.

"If you haven't been keeping up with the news, I've declared war on Kira. It was my hope you would assist in his capture, but if you're not inter...ouch." Perhaps, Lelouch thought, he toyed with Nina too much. She had quite the grip and was cutting off the circulation in his hand.

"You have to let me help you," Nina demanded. "You have to let me help you avenge Princess Euphemia. I won't take 'no' for an answer."

Lelouch pulled away from Nina. "Very well, Nina Einstein, I will accept you as an ally to the Black Knights," Zero said as he rubbed his sore wrist. "Tomorrow, items from the 731st Armory will be shipped to this lab. The equipment is top secret military equipment that was being tested at the armory on the day Kira appeared. There has been speculation that the military experiment is somehow related to Kira, but because the blueprints have been shipped back to Britannia, these suspicions can not be confirmed. Your task to discern the purpose of this equipment and any connection it may have to Kira. Your go-between will be a maid who works on the school grounds by the name of Sayoko. She was one of my collaborators during the occupation. Do you know her?" Nina nodded her head in response to Lelouch's question. "Most important of all, do not tell *anyone*. If word got out that you were helping the Black Knights, Kira will kill you just as he did Euphemia."

"Don't worry Zero," Nina said with determination, "I won't let anyone find out."

* * *

Light Yagami slipped into a dark alley. There, in waiting, was a Japanese man. He was a bit shorter than Light, and his face was overshadowed by the sweatshirt hood pull over his head. Light's face was also obscured but by a baseball cap and a pulled-out jacket collar. The Japanese man in the hoodie slipped off his backpack and pulled out a newspaper at the same time Light slipped him a few hundred yen. There, waiting for him was Ryuk. Light glanced over to Ryuk as he took out his cell phone.

"Are we being followed?" Light wasn't really talking on his phone. It was a way for Light to speak to Ryuk without arousing suspicion.

"No. Same as always, Light. I'm getting tired of running all over town to buy the same newspaper everyday."

"We're been through this already. I have my reasons. Now, do you want those Red Delicious or not?"

When they go to the apartment, Light careful read over each of the copies of the Voice of the Rising Sun. "Ryuk, come here."

Ryuk pulled himself away from the manga he just picked up and groaned. "Can it wait? The last issue ended on a cliffhanger, and I've been waiting all day to find out what happened."

"When did you start reading manga?"

"About the time Zero killed the cable."

"I'm about to show you why I've been running around town buying copies of the same newspaper." Light held out two of the newspapers. "At first glance, they look identical, but if you do a side-by-side comparison..."

Ryuk studied the spot Light was pointing to on the two papers. "I don't see the difference."

"Look carefully, Ryuk."

"Oh I see." Ryuk noticed that there were two different criminals in the same spot on the two papers.

"This is insulting," Light said indignantly. "Zero actually believed I wouldn't be suspicious of the one source of mass media left in Tokyo." Light then gestured to Ryuk to come to the table. "Each of these papers varies by one criminal, and I picked them up in different locations in Tokyo."

"Yeah, I know. I had to follow you all over..." Then Ryuk chuckled in delight. "Oh, I get it. Zero was narrowing down your location."

"I think I'll give Zero a taste of what I gave L."

* * *

Lelouch worked hard to maintain an aura of superiority for his Zero persona. Not to lord over the Black Knights as much as to give them confidence. Their leader has to be infallible, never conflicted or troubled by self-doubt even if it was a façade. So, it was a shock to Ohgi to see his leader slumped over the prisoner reports resting his head on his knuckles grumbling to himself.

"Zero, I was wondering if your plan..."

"No it didn't."

"Oh," said Ohgi. "What happened exactly?"

"Kira figured out what we were up to," said Kallen. "The day after the paper was distributed, all twenty-three of the prisoners died. So, I guess that means Kira got a paper from each of the special wards. Though what's really weird was the inmates all wrote cryptic messages before they died." Kallen took out her copy of the inmate reports. "Let's see: '_zero-it is all my life is worth-I am ready to die_' and '_apples are the forbidden fruit I have tasted and now God will punish me for eating them_' and there's..."

"That's enough Kallen!" Zero snapped. "I'm trying to concentrate."

Kallen pulled Ohgi down just low enough to whisper in his ear. "One or two of them even wrote their message in their own blood." Ohgi cringed when his imagination conjured an image of an inmate lying in a pool of his own blood after slitting his wrist and smearing blood on the wall with his finger. "Zero thinks Kira can control people he chooses to kill."

"No way!"

"I said keep quiet," said Lelouch.

"Zero also said if Kira can control a person's action, he may be able to kill by using other means like suicides," Kallen whispered.

"But what is Zero doing?"

"Those weird writings might have a coded message."

"Why would Kira give us coded messages?"

"How the hell am I supposed to know? I think Zero's on to something." Kallen pointed to Lelouch arranging the messages in different orders."

"I think the first word of the message is the key." Zero circled the first words with a red pen. He was almost finished when he dropped the pen and slammed his fist on the conference table. "Pardon me. I need to go for a walk."

"Zero," Kallen asked, "what did the message say?"

"It's nothing important. Kira's just toying with us."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Ohgi looked over the messages. "Zero," Ohgi read out loud, "don't you know shinigami..."

"What about 'shinigami'?"

"It's in the coded message." Ohgi circled the first word in the last two messages. "Zero, don't you know shinigami loves apples? Zero was right. The bastard is toying with us."

* * *

"What do you mean he can't join?" Ohgi complained. "I interviewed the kid myself."

"You heard Zero's orders: no new recruits," Kallen scolded Ohgi. The two of them were in the break room of the Black Knight Headquarters.

"But he's legit, and I spoke with his father. They're both supporters of Zero from the beginning, and his father lost his arm defending Japan from the Britannian invasion back in '10. There's no way he's in league with Kira."

"Look, Ohgi," Kallen said, "if you need to win other people's approval so badly, then maybe you shouldn't have went against Kira."

Ohgi raised an eyebrow. "And what's that suppose to mean?"

"That Goroh guy is a crutch to you. For the first time since Japan was liberated, people are questioning the existence of the Black Knights. People aren't as accepting of us as they used to be, and you're letting it get to you."

"If you think I became a Black Knight because I'm some sort of glory hound, you're mistaken."

"I didn't say that Ohgi."

"Then don't imply it."

"I'm just saying you're unsure about capturing Kira and that you need someone outside the Black Knights to reassure you."

Ohgi palmed his forehead. "I don't believe I'm hearing this. After what Kira did to Chigusa, you think I'm being indecisive about killing Kira!" A young female Black Knight that was passing by paused in from of the break room and peered inside. "This is private," Ohgi barked. When the rank-and-file Black Knight went back to her business, Ohgi picked back up when he left off. "Look, Kallen, we gave Zero a chance," Ohgi paused to glance over his shoulder, "and he's a Britannian," he said just low enough for Kallen to hear. "Why can't we give Goroh a chance?"

"We're facing a different kind of enemy, Ohgi. That's why," Kallen said solemnly.

* * *

Goroh beamed in wide-eyed amazement at the Black Knights' motor pool. All around him were dozens of Knightmare Frames. He dotted his head left and right taking in the awe-inspiring view.

"Mr. Kaname, this is awesome!"

"I take it you like what you see," Ohgi smiled.

"Do I ever? You got Burais, Gekkas, and even some Britannian models as well." Goroh pointed to the Sutherlands. He then ran enthused across the motor pool to a group of Knightmares, untouched by time and battle, looking as though they came straight off the showroom floor.

"Hey wait up!" Ohgi yelled. "I can get in trouble if they find out you're here."

"I've never seen that model before," Goroh said while panting for air.

"It's the Akatsuki. They're manufactured in India."

"You think I could get to pilot it someday?"

"Don't see why not?" Then Ohgi called out to Yoshida who was inspecting the new Frames. "Yoshida, come over here and meet our potential recruit. Goroh, this is Yoshida Ta..."

"Ohgi!" Yoshida yelled. "You know the rules!"

"Oh come on! I did a background check on him. Goroh can be trusted."

"That doesn't' matter." Yoshida set his palm top on the foot of the Akatsuki and walked over to Ohgi and Goroh. "You know Zero won't allow it."

"Didn't I tell you I checked him out?"

Yoshida palmed his forehead. "So, your name's Goroh."

"Goroh Okouch, Yoshida-sempai," Goroh said with a bow.

Yoshida raised his eyebrow. "Cut the sempai crap will ya. Just call me Yoshida for the time being. You're not a Black Knight."

"Not yet, but he will be," Ohgi said defiantly.

"Well, that's not up to us. That's up to Zero." Yoshida noticed Ohgi's sour look. "Look, I'm not saying he can't ever be a Black Knight, but Zero said no new Black Knights until Kira's capture, but if it makes you two feel better, Zero promised to start back recruitment once we get Kira."

"I don't have a problem with him joining." Ohgi, Yoshida, and Goroh looked overhead. Tamaki lowered himself down.

"Goroh, this is Tamaki Shinichiro," said Ohgi as Tamaki shook Goroh's hand. Yoshida shook his head in disappointment. "Tamaki is the leader of our second special squadron."

"That's some sort of elite group isn't it," Goroh beamed.

The unintended flattery made Tamaki smile. "I like this new guy, Ohgi," Tamaki said. "I have to run some diagnostics on the Burais. Wanna help me?"

"Oh would I eve...!" Goroh blurted out before he regained his composure. "If it's not much of a bother," said Goroh in a failed attempt to hide his childlike enthusiasms.

As Goroh and Tamaki were tending to a Burai's cockpit control, Yoshida said quietly but sternly, "What is your malfunction, Ohgi?"

Ohgi looked shocked and hurt at Yoshida. "What's wrong?"

"Telling my name and Tamaki's? You know what happens if that boy is Kira."

"He's not Kira, Yoshida."

"How would you know?"

Ohgi didn't have an answer for Yoshida's question. "Oh all right!" Ohgi looked away and sighed. "When he and Tamaki are finished with the diagnostics, I'll tell Goroh that he'll have to wait to become a Black Knight." And then he stared Yoshida in the eyes. "But I'm not giving up on Goroh."

* * *

It was a bittersweet day for Goroh. Though he didn't become a Black Knight as Ohgi promised, he did get a grand tour and the promise that, once Kira has been defeated, he could become one of them. It was a lot for Goroh to think about while traveling back to his father's apartment on the maglev. Then he thought about his mother, for whatever reason, he had the urge to tell her. He wanted to show her that he could make an adult decision about his life. Then he noticed a man, not much older than him, sitting right next to him. He had on a sports jacket with the collar up, blue jeans, and a baseball cap. A blue tablet and a pencil were in his hands.

"Sorry to bother you," he said to the person sitting next to him, "but I was wondering if I could borrow a piece of paper from you. Also, can I use your pencil too?"

"Sure, why not?" The man said. Goroh accepted the pencil and paper. "Here, use my notepad to press on." The man then offered Goroh his notepad.

"Thanks!" Goroh placed the notepad underneath the paper and wrote:

_Dear mother,_

_I decided that it's only fair to tell you that I'm made a decision about my future. I want to be like dad and defend our country. I'm joining the Black Knights. Not in the immediate future, but I will someday. I know you don't want me involved with shady thugs as you called them, but they're not the criminals that you make them out to be. They're good people. I made friends with two of them. The first one is Ohgi Kaname. Kaname-san was the one who vetted me. He's probably one of the most clean-cut guys I've ever met. Kaname-san used to be a teacher before the invasion. Hell, I'm more of a thug than he is. The other one is Tamaki Shinichiro. Tamaki-san showed me the cockpit for the Burai and their new Frame the Akatsuki. Ohgi introduced me to one other Black Knight: Yoshida. He was sort of hard on me, but I think I can win him over._

* * *

Kallen and Ohgi made their way down the hall. On the other end was the side door to the tactical command office, that once held the balls thrown by Clovis during his reign as viceroy. Ohgi held his head down with a glower look on his face. Kallen's face was red despite her dark complexion.

"Zero's going to bust you down all the way to Knightmare washer if you keep going behind his back," Kallen scolded. "Bringing that Goroh guy here was a mistake. And telling him Tamaki's name is even worse." Ohgi's eyes shot wide open. "Yeah, Yoshida told me, and if you only knew how pissed off he was, you wouldn't show your face around him anytime soon."

"You don't know Goroh like I do," Ohgi huffed. "You didn't even give him a chance."

Kallen took a deep breath. Her face was no longer beet red once she had the chance to calm down. "This isn't just about him. I've known you since you and my brother were friends, which is why this is hard for me to say this but: you can't be a Black Knight and not put your faith in Zero. I don't normally butt into someone else's love life, but that woman you were with *was* a Britannian soldier, and now you're keeping this kid a secret from Zero."

"I know what I'm doing is wrong, but this is different. Not letting Goroh join the Black Knights isn't right."

"This is only temporary, Ohgi. If he's that dedicated, he'll wait." But Kallen didn't get an answer. "Ohgi? Ohgi? Ohgi!"

* * *

Goroh returned the man's pencil. "Thanks, I owe you one." The train came to a stop. "Well, this is where I get off. You take care." Goroh hastily grabbed his bags and hurried off the train. Unbeknown to Goroh, the letter to his mother was left behind. The man reached over and grabbed it before Goroh noticed.

"You too," the man said. When the man reached his stop, he removed his baseball cap revealing himself to be Light Yagami.

"Damn," Light cursed as he looked over the paper, "only two names. I was hoping for more. But you weren't a total waste of time, Okouchi Goroh."

* * *

Goroh was making his ways up the stairs when he was greeted by an unwelcome visitor. It was the teenager that threw Molotov cocktails at the Black Knight headquarters.

"I've been waiting a long time for this," he said as he plunged a blade into Goroh's heart before fleeing down the stairway. Goroh fell to his knees trying to pull the knife from his chest, but the knife was a survival knife with a saw tooth edge that gripped Goroh's flesh. Not that it mattered, Goroh's life essence poured from the wound and spilled on the walkway as a deep red liquid. Before collapsing and expiring, Goroh could hear gunshots coming from the street below. The punk who stabbed Goroh was gunned down by Black Knights on patrol.

* * *

The eleven members of the Second Squadron stood at attention next to their Akatsukis waiting for their squad leader. It was now mandatory practice for the Knightmare squads to go on training exercises every other month in the mountainous regions of Narita. Another Akatsuki, which emerged from the thick forest bush, pulled up in front of the squads. Yoshida rose from his opened cockpit.

"Hello, for those that don't know me, I'm Yoshida. I'm sorry for the last minute change in command, but your squad leader, Tamaki, couldn't make it."

"Is he okay?" One of the recruits asked. "Is he sick or had an accident?"

"It's nothing for you to worry about. Keep your mind on the training exercise. Don't think you can be careless just because we're using paint rounds. Even a stray paint round can kill a person and we have the occasional onlooker to worry about. Also, please do not switch on your revolving blade swords. The "on and off" switch may mean the difference between scratching up the paint job on your team mate's Knightmare and running him through by accident. Now mount up."

* * *

"Does anyone know why Zero called a meeting on short notice?" Inoue asked. She and most of the founding members of the Black Knights were in the conference room waiting for a surprise announcement concerning the Kira case.

"Zero didn't say," said Minami.

"Kallen, do you know what's going on?"

"I don't have a clue, Inoue."

"Hey Kallen," said Sugiyama, "what happened to Ohgi?"

"What are you talking about? He's right there." Kallen pointed to Ohgi who was sitting at the far end of the conference table. Ohgi then turned his nose up and turned away from the others.

"No, I mean why's he..."

...acting like a spoiled brat?" Kallen finished Sugiyama's question. "Ask him yourself."

"I'm afraid to."

"Then don't worry about it. I'm not." Kallen said in a condescending tone. Suddenly, everyone dropped their conversion and stood at attention when Zero entered the room.

"You may be seated."

Everyone waited for Zero to break the big news to them, but instead he took a seat at the conference table with the others.

"Excuse me, sir," Minami spoke up, "we were told you had some news on the Kira case."

"I don't. In fact, it was Tamaki that asked for this meeting."

"Tamaki?!" Kallen said with a facial expression stuck between shocked and bewilderment.

"You don't mean our Tamaki right?" Inoue asked.

"Yes, I mean that Tamaki."

About a minute later, Tamaki entered the room with a video disk in hand. His expression appeared void of any thought or emotion.

"Tamaki, Zero said you had some news on the Kira case," Kallen said. "Is it true?"

Tamaki ignored the others and proceeded to load the disk into the conference video system. The words KIRA flashed on the screen.

"Greetings Zero," the electronically synthesized voice spoke over the conference loudspeakers. "I apologize for taking so long to respond to your...ultimatum, but you've made yourself rather scarce as of late. I was afraid you went into hiding. If I recall correctly, your Black Knights should be holding their training exercises just outside the Narita city limits. My messenger Tamaki Shinichirō will pause the video for you while you check on your Second Squadron."

_Kira knows Tamaki's identity. How? How did find out?_ That single line of thought echoed in Lelouch's mind. Then it occurred to him: _Kira is controlling Tamaki? That means Tamaki will..._

"I suggest you hurry before it's too late," said Kira before the video paused.

"Inoue," Lelouch said in a frantic tone, "who's taking over for Tamaki?"

"It's Yoshida."

"Patch him through! Hurry!" The monitor went blank for a moment before switching to the interior view of Yoshida's cockpit. "Yoshida, has anything happened to your squad?"

"Is there something wrong sir?" Yoshida asked.

"Has anything happened to your squad?"

"No, sir. Nothing out of the ordinary."

"Order your men back to the Narita base, now!"

"Yes sir?" Yoshida studied his instrument panel for a moment. Then, the muffled sounds of many voices talking all at once.

"What's going on? Is there something wrong, Yoshida?"

"All of the Akatsukis except Red 2 are shutting down. Their Yggdrasil drives are going offline."

"What about Red 2? You said it was still working."

"Kami-sama! No!"

"Yoshida!" This time it was Ohgi who was in a panic. "Yoshida!"

"It's Red 2! I have to stop her!" Yoshida leaned to the right as though he was turning his Akatsuki around.

"Inoue, switch to the front view! Hurry!" Inoue followed Lelouch's instruction and patched the video from the Akatsuki's front camera into the conference room viewer. To their horror, Red 2 was thrust its revolving sword into the cockpits of the immobilized Akatsukis. More specifically, at the very front of the cockpit. At that moment, the Akatsuki that was stabbed sprang to life and jerked forward widening the cut made by Red 2.

The others watched as Yoshida's Akatsuki fired its arm cannon at Red 2 covering the entire front of the Knightmare with red paint including his forward cameras and Factsphere. The momentary lost of visibility was enough for Yoshida to capitalize on. He plunged his revolving sword between the power relay and the energy filler.

Yoshida, as well as Lelouch and the others viewing the tragedy, was trying to catch his breath when screams of agony filled his cockpit.

Lelouch, out of pure emotion, raced to the conference monitor "Yoshida, are you being attacked by another Knightmare?"

"No, sir. I don't know why they're screaming." Then suddenly, everything went silent.

"Inoue, patch us into the interior view of the other Knightmares." One by one, the images of Black Knights, bathed in the red glow of the emergency lighting, flashed on the monitor. Their limp, lifeless bodies slumped against their seat restraints. Some of them, including the pilot of Red 2, were clinching their chests. Then Tamaki restarted the video message.

"Zero, you should know by now that it was I who decimated the Britannian command structure on the day of the Black Rebellion and that I can kill by means besides a heart attack and control those who I choose to kill." At that moment, Tamaki fell to his knees and collapsed. The others ran to his side. Ohgi rolled Tamaki over and shook him in a vain gesture brought on by denial and the disbelief that his long time comrade-at-arms was dead.

"Zero, here me out," Kira proclaimed, "I am able to bring your armies to a grinding halt just as I did to Second Squadron. I can do to your Black Knights what I did to the Britannian occupation. I can kill without heart attacks and even will your men to shed the blood of their fellow soldiers on my behalf. This is just the beginning unless you cease defying my will. End the communication black out. Then step down as leader of the Black Knights and name this man as your replacement. You should know him quite well, Zero."

It was then a picture of Ohgi flashed on the conference room monitor.

* * *

Flashback

Tamaki was about to turn after a long day of running diagnostics in the new Knightmares when received a knock on the door.

"Go away! It's after 2100 hours!" Tamaki yelled. The person continued knocking.

"Whoever you are, I'm kicking your ass." Tamaki swung the door open. "I'll make you this is the last..." Then Tamaki loss his will to fight. He just stood at the door with a vacant stare.

"Since you didn't die of a heart attack," said Light to Tamaki, "It's safe to assume I got the right Tamaki. Now let's see if this works." Light gave Tamaki a few sheets of regular notebook paper. "Now, write down the names, approximate age, and physical description of the members of your squad, starting with your second-in-command. Then you will do the same for as many Black Knights that you know."After Tamaki was finished, Light handed him a DVD.

End of Flashback

* * *

Light exited the stairwell and went straight to his and Tarou's room on the fifth floor of this dilapidated apartment complex. All that was left to do was to wait and see if his plan came to fruition. Just outside his door were two people talking causally to one another.

"Oh hi Light," said Tarou, "how was your evening? Did you find that thing you were looking for?"

"I'm not sure," answered Light, "but the results are looking promising so far." Light stopped and glanced at their guest. "Who's your friend, Tarou?"

"Oh, I forgot to introduce you two. Light, this is Kururugi Suzaku-the guy that saved my butt on the bullet train." Tarou then turned to Suzaku. "Suzaku, this is Light Yagami."

Suzaku jumped off the couch and shook Light's hand. "So, you're the genius Tarou brags about."

"Tarou tends to exaggerates."

"You're too modest, Light," said Tarou. "Hey Suzaku, did I tell you that Light reprogrammed our entire filing system...in one week! We had a bunch of guys on it for weeks, and the system kept crashing. And get this-Light never used that program before. Is he awesome or what?"

As Tarou and Suzaku lightheartedly conversed with each other, Light contemplated on the next steps in his plans. _Tarou, you did well. You befriended the man that saved your life on the train, as I planned. Thanks to you, I'm one step closer to killing Zero._

* * *

Nori Osamu was busy filing papers when he received a knock at his office door.

"Oh now what!" Nori bellowed.

A frail, skinny face peered inside. "Sir, there's a Britannian here to see you."

"A Britannian?! Tell him we don't have any openings."

"It's a her, actually. Her name is Milly Ashford and she wants to speak with Light Yagami.

* * *

Will Lelouch give in to Light's demands? What are Light's plans for Tarou and Suzaku? And what unforeseen difficult will throw Light for a loop? Find out in the next chapter of _Zero vs. Kira_.

I want to apologize for getting some of the Death Note rules wrong. The deaths of Tamaki and his squadron was based off a combination of two scenes from the Death Note manga/anime and one scene from the live action Death Note movie. I won't go into detail until I post chapter 8 because I don't want to give away too much. But I will give an explanation on how Light can appear to go against the Death Note's "no collateral damage" rule.

PS: I should tell you why I took so long to post this chapter. I have several reasons.

1). Writer's block. I had an idea of how things would turn out, but from my point of view, it kinda sucked story-wise. It was only recently did I finally came up with an idea that I believed to be worth writing about. I may be wrong about this, but I think it's better not to finish a story or at least wait for the right idea to come up than to finish a story, badly. I know it sounds hypocritical coming from a guy whose stories are littered with grammatical errors and missing words, but why compound the problem by rushing through a story? Hey, at least grammatical errors are easier to correct than an ill-conceived plot.

2). In real life stuff. For awhile, I was going to college and working full-time at the same time. Everything crowded out my writing.

3). My Little Pony. My head was full of ponies.

3a). _Rebel Against the Night_. In addition to magical talking ponies, my other Code Geass crossover had something that _Zero vs. Kira_ didn't have-most of the main cast still breathing. It can't really be helped. Light can kill anyone whose identity is known to him and Japan's worst enemies are public figures. They would be the first to go followed by anyone else who got in Light's way, including the Black Knights. With my other story, I had a chance to write about the characters that got killed off in _Zero vs. Kira._ Alas poor Emperor Charles, Cornelia, Euphemia, Schneizel, Villetta, Guilford, Darlton, Tohdoh, Chiba, Senba, Asahina, Urabe, Diethard, Rakshata, and Tamaki, I didn't get the opportunity to write you well. For Light Yagami wrote you off and no one writes people off quite like Light Yagami.


End file.
